Scientific instruments designed for space are orders of magnitude more expensive than terrestrial counterparts due to radiation and thermal hardening
Scientific instruments designed for space applications require extensive radiation and thermal hardening, which significantly increases their cost and complexity relative to terrestrial counterparts.
The retrieved papers include studies detailing the specialized design, component selection, and radiation/thermal hardening required for space instruments (such as Langmuir probes and space power converters). While some modern initiatives attempt to reduce costs using commercial-off-the-shelf components, space instruments consistently demand rigorous qualification and hardening that elevate expenses.
H. Valentine, R. Conway, R. Clayton, N. Graves, M. I. L. A. W. Bushmaker, M. Taggart, W. EdwardsA., D. WrightA., Yarbrough, A. Barjatya, J. Taggart, P. Edwards, A. W. Wright, A. Yarbrough. Assuring Radiation Tolerance of a Langmuir Probe Instrument for Low-Cost Interplanetary Missions. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1109/TNS.2024.3455272
Paper 10 discusses the specific engineering and testing protocols required to ensure radiation tolerance for low-cost interplanetary science instruments, illustrating the specialized constraints of space hardware.
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Amit Gole, Adriana Ocampo, Shane O'Donnell. Microchip SA50-28 Series: A Standard, Non-Hybrid, Configurable & Highly Reliable Radiation Hardened Isolated DC-DC Converter for Space Power Solutions. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1109/ESPC59009.2023.10413263
Paper 11 highlights the stringent reliability and environmental hardening standards (such as radiation hardening) required for space power electronics compared to commercial terrestrial devices.
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