Infineon reported that its IR HiRel radiation-hardened semiconductors operated without fault throughout NASA’s Artemis II mission, a ten-day crewed journey beyond Earth orbit that returned safely. The components supported Orion capsule power management, control, and data-communication functions, drawing on a space heritage extending to the 1970s. [1]
The result provides operational—not merely laboratory—evidence that devices qualified to standards including MIL-PRF-38535 Class V and ESA ESCC can withstand deep-space conditions. Infineon’s portfolio includes silicon power MOSFETs, gate drivers, relays, RF components, and a 100 V gallium-nitride transistor qualified to JANS standards; integrated radiation testing, packaging, and device design reduce single-point electronics failures that could disable lunar habitats or destroy stored knowledge. [1]
The Ark team should establish a rad-hard electronics baseline using MIL-PRF-38535 Class V, ESA ESCC, and JANS-qualified parts; track Infineon’s GaN and other wide-bandgap devices; and require mission-specific radiation, thermal-cycling, aging, and fault-recovery tests before deployment. Procurement plans should also preserve validated component inventories, manufacturing documentation, and second-source options against century-scale obsolescence. [1]