Engineered to last: Powering the next generation of satellites

A rocket lifts off, carrying dozens of satellites. Minutes later, the satellites deploy into a precisely calculated orbit. The rocket descends back to Earth, where it will be prepared for its next launch.

With reusable rockets and more launches than ever, reaching orbit has become routine. But orbiting in space requires electronics that can operate reliably for the full length of a mission.

What the rocket revolution changed

A decade ago, launching a kilogram – about the same mass of six apples – of hardware into orbit cost at least $10,000. By 2025, that figure has significantly dropped to a few thousands of dollars per kilogram. It’s projected to decline even further by 2030.  

“This new era of space is fast, innovative and full of dreamers. The missions are complex, infrastructure-forward, and more affordable than ever thanks to rocket reusability,” said Lauren Savage, lunar lander design engineer and aerospace science communicator.

Access to space, once reserved for scientific missions and the largest operators, now extends to startups, universities and smaller research institutions.

Increasing the number of launches and satellites in orbit also makes more invaluable satellite data accessible. Earth-observation satellites track ocean temperatures, ice thickness, soil composition and atmospheric gases, and monitor wildfires and volcanic activity as they unfold.

As these missions multiply, the demands on the electronics in each satellite have changed just as sharply.

“Years ago, with fewer products in the market, engineers were facing more focused challenges as power requirements were beginning to increase,” said Javier Valle, space power product line manager at TI. “But with this new era of space hardware, they want smaller, faster and more efficient devices for the entire satellite power distribution.”  

More capability in the same, or smaller, satellite size

Previously, satellites would collect that data from sensors and then send it back to Earth for processing. Now, modern satellites process the data in orbit to lower latency, which requires more compute power. This has made satellite payload power increase from hundreds of watts to kilowatts in the last few years, and future use cases might require tens of kilowatts in the near future. But as satellites power rises, current and temperature sensing and fault detection also become engineering design challenges.  

Meanwhile, satellites have remained the same size or gotten smaller, which creates a challenge given the increased power. More processing capability requires more power, and more power translates to more dissipated heat. In the vacuum environment of space, it is difficult to remove heat from satellites. So, engineers need higher power density and higher efficiency converters. What’s the solution?

Engineers are adopting gallium nitride (GaN) FETs instead of silicon FETs. GaN can operate at faster switching frequencies and offer higher efficiency than silicon. This higher efficiency can help alleviate thermal challenges.

Similar challenges apply to the large amounts of data satellites handle. Whether it is telemetry data from the satellite itself or data that must be processed and transmitted at very high speeds, TI semiconductors can handle various functions:

• Power converters efficiently distribute power throughout the satellite, from the output of the solar panel, all the way to the high current payloads.
• Signal-chain devices help propagate data across the satellite and translate analog measurements into digital data a processor can use.
• Embedded processors handle payload processing, motor control and monitoring across the satellite.

Little of what we know about space would be possible without TI semiconductors; in fact, the first ICs to orbit the Earth were TI’s in 1963. Now, more than 60 years later, TI has established its legacy in space exploration, from helping to put a man on the moon to fueling today’s rocket revolution.

In 2025 alone, these TI semiconductors were aboard more than 200 rocket launches.

“Our broad and growing portfolio of space-rated products can support almost every section of the satellite and fulfill requirements for every type of mission,” Javier said. 

Designing for radiation

Designing for an electrical function in a satellite is one requirement; surviving the mission is another. Radiation could be the deciding factor of how long a satellite can remain operational.

In space, radiation could affect the performance of electronics, either through cumulative degradation over a mission’s lifetime or random events triggered by heavy ions or solar activity.

“Semiconductor resilience in this challenging environment is vital to satellite health and mission success,” said Lauren.

Building resilient electronics occurs at the die level, or the active portion inside the package of an IC. Designing and manufacturing the die with the proper performance under this radiation environment requires special components and design techniques.

TI has engineered two types of space products: radiation-hardened products qualified at higher levels of radiation performance intended for longer term, geosynchronous orbits and deep space missions, and radiation-tolerant products qualified at lower levels of radiation performance intended for shorter missions in low Earth orbit applications. 

“We work with our customers to provide solutions to their latest challenges, meeting the reliability requirements for a wide range of mission classes,” Javier said. 

What comes next?

Remember that rocket heading back to Earth? The satellites it deployed can do things that were not possible years ago.

And these satellites’ progress is measured by how seamless their impact feels. A hiker hundreds of miles from the nearest tower can place a call due to communication satellites. Scientists can better understand nature events better because of earth observation satellites. None of this would be possible without the state-of-the-art electronics in space.