Why Hermetic Sealing is Crucial for Space Electronics

Space electronics are designed to withstand extreme conditions. They are used in many critical applications, such as navigation, scientific data collection, communication, and operational controls. These electronic devices are expected to operate reliably and efficiently in challenging conditions, such as vacuum, drastic temperature fluctuations, and high levels of cosmic radiation. This condition necessitates specialized approaches for space electronics design, such as radiation-hardened chips, hermetically sealed connectors, passive thermal control techniques, redundancy and fault tolerance, low power design, custom integrated circuits (ICs), and advanced materials. This post discusses the hermetic sealing technology for space-rated connectors and helps you understand why regular connectors may fail in space environments.

Challenges of Space Electronics

Space electronics are exposed to many challenges due to their operational environment. Here are some challenges.

• Vibrations: Many launch vehicles such as rocket launchers are known to produce extreme noise, vibration, and shocks. These vibrations and shocks can damage or short sensitive electronic components and circuit boards.

• Thermal and Cosmic Radiation: Thermal radiation can directly impact the connector’s performance. When a spacecraft is directly exposed to sunlight its temperature can climb to 120 degrees Celsius or even higher. These high temperatures introduce thermal cycling that can affect the performance of connectors generally tested for thermal soaking. Cosmic radiation is many times a challenge for space vehicles operated at high altitudes. This radiation may not directly impact a connector, but it can cause issues with system operation.
• Microgravity: This condition occurs due to the lack of significant gravitational force in space. It can significantly impact the physical structure of electronics, thereby causing malfunctions.
• Limited Power Supplies: The power supply required for many space missions is sourced from batteries and solar panels. This limits the power supply to space electronics.
• Size and Weight Constraints: Space electronics design is driven by challenges like space and weight constraints. An surge in weight even by a gram can increase deployment time and cost of space electronics. Hence, space electronics must be designed as compact and lightweight as possible without compromising performance, safety, and durability.
• Customization: Space missions have unique requirements that demand a high level of customization to ensure electronics are seamlessly integrated onto the board.

The performance of any space electronics depends on its ability to withstand the challenges mentioned above. Addressing these challenges demands a multidisciplinary approach, combining the principles of electrical engineering, advancements in material science, thermal management, hermetic sealing, and many more. The next section focuses on the importance of hermetic sealing in space electronics.

How Hermetic Sealing Helps Improve the Performance of Space Electronics

Hermetic sealing is the process of creating airtight sealing across circuits, sensors, ignitors, switches, microchips, semiconductors, and so on, using various materials. The materials such as glass, plastics, epoxy resins, and ceramics are used to create hermetic sealing. This technology helps improve the performance of space electronics in the following ways.

• Hermetic sealing creates a barrier that safeguards the components from contamination and ensures proper functioning.
• Hermetic seals create ruggedized construction and prevent gas, air, and moisture from penetrating the assembly.
• This sealing prevents outgassing by ensuring no internal gases escape the component and vacuum environment outside doesn’t affect internal components.
• Hermetic sealing helps space-rated connectors withstand temperature extremes, preventing the internal components from failing due to thermal stress.
• Although hermetic sealing may not directly protect space-qualified electronics from thermal and cosmic radiation, it contributes to the overall design of space-hardened electronics. This sealing facilitates a controlled internal environment and supports the use of specific shielding materials that can absorb radiation and protect the electronic components.
• Creating a stable internal environment in space connectors or other space-qualified electronics enables them to operate at their optimal performance levels. This consistency ensures precise measurements and controls needed in space missions.

All these benefits prove that hermetic sealing is a foundational technology that helps ensure longevity, reliability, and performance of electronics in space applications.

If you have been considering a hermetic sealing technology partner for your next space mission, there are few names that meet this demand and Douglas Electrical Components stands tall among them. We provide hermetic and environmentally sealed feedthroughs with a broad range of connectivity capabilities. We help clients in aerospace industry reduce weights and simplify designs by sealing cables, wires, connectors, circuit boards, optical fibers, and any combination thereof. Recently, we have developed and delivered a customized plate assembly using a specialized material called AlBeMet and space-rated connectors. AlBeMet is the trade name of beryllium and aluminum metal mix composite material manufactured by Materion Corporation Brush Beryllium and Composites. It is a lightweight material with properties such as high mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, and electrical conductivity, which is why it is used in airborne applications.

We can also provide microelectronic hermetic packages and space-rated feedthroughs. Our HTCC hermetic packages have been successfully utilized in power conversion, management, and distribution systems used in satellite systems. Contact us today to learn more about our hermetic sealing technology capabilities and engineering expertise.