Abstract
Space radiation is a harsh environment affecting all electronic devices used on spacecraft, despite the presence of Earth’s protective magnetic field in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Although particles inducing total ionizing dose (TID) can be effectively shielded against in LEO, particles responsible for Single Event Effects (SEEs) remain an issue for the reliability of electronics. This is particularly of concern considering the increasing use of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components, not designed for space applications. In the frame of this thesis, the SEE response of three commercial memory types are explored: SRAM, FRAM and NAND Flash. Based on SEE test results, the possible fault mechanisms induced by SEE particles on those devices are analysed. In order to study and compare the devices’ response with actual in-orbit measurements, the RES (Radiation Effect Study) science experiment was developed and is presented. The RES experiment will be the payload of the MTCube (Memory Test CubeSat) nanosatellite, which is being developed at the University of Montpellier as a joint project between the University Space Center (CSU Montpellier-Nîmes), as well as the LIRMM and IES laboratories. MTCube is financed by the European Space Agency (ESA).