Radiation Shielding for COTS Space Electronics is designed to help enable reliable operation of modern commercial electronics in space radiation environments. The solution supports high-performance onboard compute architectures including GPUs, FPGAs, SSDs, cameras, sensors, payload processors, and AI-enabled spacecraft systems that are increasingly susceptible to radiation-driven intermittent faults and Single Event Effects (SEEs).

Applications include onboard AI and edge processing, optical payloads, Earth observation systems, data handling electronics, autonomous spacecraft systems, VPX-based processing architectures, and commercial satellite platforms leveraging modern COTS components.

Shielding implementations utilizing Plasteel® technology can be applied at the chip, board, enclosure, or subsystem level, including integrated aluminum enclosure architectures for spacecraft and payload electronics.

High-Performance Shielding for Modern Space Compute

CSC’s shielding solutions are designed specifically for the challenges associated with modern high-performance COTS electronics operating in radiation environments. As commercial processors continue increasing in computational capability and transistor density, spacecraft electronics become increasingly susceptible to intermittent radiation-driven faults and SEE-related disruptions.

The architecture combines lightweight hydrogen-rich shielding materials with configurable enclosure and subsystem integration approaches intended to reduce radiation exposure while minimizing mass impact on spacecraft systems.

Solutions support:

• GPUs and AI accelerators
• FPGA processing systems
• NVMe and NAND flash storage
• Optical payload electronics
• VPX and modular compute systems
• High-speed onboard processing architectures
• Sensor and camera electronics

CSC supports both standalone shielding implementations and integrated enclosure-level solutions utilizing Plasteel® technology for spacecraft and payload developers.

Shielding solutions can be customized for mission environment, geometry, mass constraints, integration requirements, and electronic architecture. CSC supports shielding implementations ranging from localized component-level protection to integrated subsystem and enclosure solutions.

Available configurations include:

• CNC-machined shielding components
• Custom panel geometries
• VPX-compatible architectures
• Integrated aluminum shielding enclosures
• Sensor and optical payload shielding
• Mission-specific thickness optimization
• Low-outgassing material configurations

Both prototype and production configurations are supported.

TRL 9. CSC shielding technologies incorporating Plasteel® materials have flown on commercial satellite missions supporting onboard compute, optical payload, and electronic subsystem applications. Flight heritage includes deployments associated with commercial spacecraft and high-performance onboard processing architectures operating in LEO environments.

Applications have included compute modules, camera backplanes, payload electronics, and subsystem-level shielding implementations.

CSC manufactures shielding solutions using proprietary hydrogen-rich shielding architectures designed for integration into modern spacecraft systems. Solutions are produced using scalable machining and subsystem integration processes supporting both prototype and production quantities.

Manufacturing approaches support:

• CNC-machined shielding components
• Subsystem integration
• Enclosure-level implementations
• Precision geometries for payload electronics
• Lightweight spacecraft architectures
• Mission-specific customization

CSC shielding technologies incorporating Plasteel® materials have undergone radiation evaluation across multiple proton, neutron, and heavy-ion test environments relevant to modern spacecraft electronics applications.

Testing and material characterization activities have included:

• Proton radiation environments
• Heavy ion SEE-focused evaluations
• Neutron attenuation characterization
• Intermittent fault and SEE mitigation studies
• Low-outgassing material qualification approaches

Material systems are compatible with spacecraft integration requirements including NASA/ASTM low-outgassing considerations.

EAR

Publicly referenced mission and ecosystem relationships include:

• Aethero
• TRL11
• Quantum Space
• Various additional commercial spacecraft and payload customers