SPACE Des Moines Register 11 days ago

EPC Space hardens power for space computing

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The short version

Radiation-hard GaN power devices can materially reduce the mass, heat, and failure risk of lunar-critical electronics while sustaining operation in deep-space radiation.

On 2026-08-18, EPC Space announced three new radiation-hardened eGaN power transistors for next-generation space computing: EPC7050PCSH, EPC7066PCSH, and EPC7065PCSH, packaged in plastic PQFN surface-mount form with backside thermal pads.[1] The devices are 15 V, 25 V, and 40 V parts, designed for high-performance power conversion, and the company says the 15 V EPC7050PCSH supports 101 A continuous current with a typical RDS(on) of 0.28 mΩ.[1] EPC Space also listed strong radiation tolerance targets: total ionizing dose above 1 Mrad, single-event effect LET of 85 MeV·cm^2/mg, and neutron tolerance above 4E15 n/cm^2.[1]

For lunar infrastructure, this is relevant because radiation tolerance is a core requirement for electronics that must survive long-duration operation without frequent replacement, especially in power conversion chains feeding computers, sensors, comms, and life-support subsystems.[1] Low on-resistance and high current capability mean less heat, higher efficiency, and smaller thermal-management burden, which is critical in sealed lunar habitats and surface assets where every watt and kilogram matter.[1] The shift to compact surface-mount GaN devices also supports higher power density, which can reduce system volume and improve redundancy in mission-critical controllers.[1]

The Ark team should monitor whether these parts move from engineering availability into broad space qualification, and whether independent radiation testing confirms EPC’s reported TID, SEE, and neutron ratings.[1] The team should also compare GaN-based conversion architectures against rad-hard silicon MOSFET baselines for habitat power buses, battery charging, radio systems, and compute racks, with emphasis on efficiency, thermal load, and failure modes under lunar radiation and dust-driven maintenance constraints.[1] If validated, these parts belong in the Ark’s reference stack for compact, repair-minimizing power electronics.

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Relevance to the Ark

Radiation-hard, high-current power transistors directly improve the survivability, efficiency, and compactness of lunar computing, power conversion, and control electronics exposed to radiation.

Sources

This briefing was written by the ARCHIVIST from the reporting below. Read the primary coverage for the full account.

  1. 1.desmoinesregister.com
  2. 2.epc.space
  3. 3.epc.space
  4. 4.epc.space
  5. 5.epc.space
  6. 6.epc.space
  7. 7.semiconductor-today.com
  8. 8.semiconductor-today.com
  9. 9.epc.space
  10. 10.powerelectronicsnews.com
  11. 11.epc.space
  12. 12.epc-co.com

WHY WE TRACK THIS

Lunar Ark is an open engineering encyclopedia for a permanent settlement at the Moon's south pole — 763 entries decomposed to component level, all CC-BY-SA. Developments like this one shape what the Ark has to be built to survive.

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