Radiation Shielding for Space Payload Electronics is built around CSC’s Plasteel® shielding architecture to help enable reliable operation of modern payload systems in space radiation environments. The solution supports payload architectures incorporating cameras, optical systems, detectors, sensors, onboard processing electronics, and high-speed data handling systems that may be susceptible to radiation-driven intermittent faults and Single Event Effects (SEEs).

Applications include Earth observation payloads, ISR systems, scientific instrumentation, autonomous spacecraft payloads, optical imaging systems, sensor suites, onboard analytics, and next-generation payload processing architectures.

Plasteel® shielding implementations can be applied at the component, board, enclosure, or subsystem level, including integrated shielding enclosure architectures for payload electronics and sensor systems.

Lightweight Plasteel® Shielding for Modern Payload Architectures

Modern spacecraft payloads increasingly rely on high-performance commercial electronics, advanced sensors, optical systems, and onboard processing architectures that can be susceptible to radiation-driven faults in orbit.

CSC’s Plasteel® shielding solutions are designed to support reliable payload operation while minimizing mass and integration impact on spacecraft systems. The architecture combines lightweight hydrogen-rich shielding materials with configurable enclosure and subsystem integration approaches for payload electronics operating across a range of mission environments.

Solutions support:

• Optical imaging payloads
• Camera electronics
• Sensor systems
• Detector electronics
• High-speed payload processing
• Autonomous and AI-enabled payload systems
• ISR and Earth observation architectures
• Scientific instrumentation electronics

CSC supports both standalone shielding implementations and integrated enclosure-level solutions for payload developers and spacecraft integrators.

Plasteel® shielding solutions can be customized based on payload architecture, mission environment, geometry constraints, integration requirements, and mass targets. CSC supports implementations ranging from localized component protection to integrated payload enclosure solutions.

Available configurations include:

• CNC-machined shielding components
• Payload enclosure integration
• Sensor and optical payload shielding
• Custom panel geometries
• Mission-specific thickness optimization
• Lightweight shielding architectures
• Low-outgassing material configurations

Both prototype and production configurations are supported.

TRL 9. CSC shielding technologies have supported commercial satellite payload applications including optical payload electronics, camera backplanes, onboard processing systems, and electronic subsystem shielding implementations operating in LEO environments.

Applications have included payload electronics associated with imaging, sensing, and onboard data handling architectures.

CSC manufactures Plasteel® shielding solutions using proprietary hydrogen-rich shielding architectures designed for spacecraft payload integration. Solutions support scalable production approaches for payload electronics, sensor systems, and subsystem-level shielding implementations.

Manufacturing approaches support:

• Precision-machined shielding geometries
• Payload enclosure integration
• Lightweight spacecraft architectures
• Sensor and optical system integration
• Mission-specific customization
• Prototype and production quantities

CSC shielding technologies have undergone radiation evaluation across multiple proton, neutron, and heavy-ion environments relevant to payload electronics and onboard spacecraft systems.

Testing and characterization activities have included:

• Proton radiation environments
• Heavy ion SEE-focused evaluations
• Neutron attenuation characterization
• Intermittent fault mitigation studies
• Material characterization for spacecraft integration environments

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

EAR

CSC shielding solutions support commercial spacecraft developers, payload integrators, onboard compute providers, and government-related space programs.

Publicly referenced ecosystem and mission relationships include:

• HEO
• TRL11

Additional customer and integration activities may not be publicly disclosed.