Built to survive extreme radiation where conventional processors fail, this 45nm space chip delivers resilient computing for satellites and deep-space missions.
BAE Systems has announced that its Endura 45nm radiation-hardened system-on-chip(SoC) has successfully completed strategic radiation-hardness testing, demonstrating reliable operation under both natural space radiation and the extreme radiation environments encountered during strategic space missions. The results validate the processor’s ability to withstand conditions that would typically cause failures in conventional commercial chips.
Designed using a radiation-hardened 45nm silicon-on-insulator process, the chip targets satellites and other spacecraft requiring dependable performance while maintaining low size, weight and power consumption. The technology is intended for applications where hardware repair is impossible, such as long-duration and deep-space missions.
Unlike standard commercial processors, the chip is engineered to withstand both single-event upsets and cumulative radiation damage, ensuring uninterrupted onboard computing. This makes it suitable for military spacecraft, scientific satellites and other mission-critical aerospace platforms.
The processor combines general-purpose computing with secure boot capabilities, networking support, integrated Level 1 and Level 2 cache, and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) functionality. These features allow mission-specific acceleration of computing tasks while improving data processing efficiency.
The device is expected to form part of a next-generation family of space processors designed to enhance processing performance, power efficiency and reliability across a wide range of spacecraft applications. Development units are now available to support software development and system integration for future aerospace missions.
