Spacecrafts Can Think for Themselves, Thanks to Micron’s New NAND Memory

Micron Technology claims to have launched the industry’s first 256-gigabit (SLC) NAND flash, designed for use in harsh space environments. The memory is designed to be radiation-tolerant in space with a single-level cell.

With this, the company aims to address the growing needs in the aerospace industry. This is because space-based AI and edge computing require reliable, high-density storage for autonomous decision-making and real-time data analysis. 

Micron’s solution is engineered to function in the presence of radiation, extreme temperatures, shock, and vacuum conditions, as is often the case in space-based technology. 

Kris Baxter, Micron’s corporate VP and general manager of the automotive and embedded business unit, said, “Micron’s radiation-tolerant memory is essential for storing and processing data as we push the boundaries of computing in space.”

Testing standards align with NASA’s quality and performance testing levels (PEM-INST-001 Level 2), which expose the products to a year of screenings, including extreme temperatures. 

It also aligns with US military standards, which measure the amount of gamma radiation the product can absorb, thereby determining the product’s mission life cycle. Additionally, the product has been assessed by the American Society for Testing and Materials regarding the impact of high-energy particles on semiconductors. It verifies that components can operate safely and reliably in harsh radiation environments.

Although this is its first space-qualified product, Micron memory has already been supporting space missions. Mercury Systems uses the company’s NAND flash in solid-state data recorders aboard NASA’s EMIT mission, an imaging spectrometer installed on the ISS in 2022.

“Micron’s flash memory has proven to be highly reliable in orbit, helping us enable groundbreaking missions and scientific research,” claimed Vincent Pribble, principal product manager at Mercury Systems.

The product marks the beginning of Micron’s space-qualified portfolio, which will later include NOR (Not OR) and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) solutions. The product is now available commercially. The new SLC NAND builds on Micron’s experience in ruggedising embedded memory for edge use. 

To support the aerospace sector, Micron is also strengthening its US-based manufacturing and developing customer engineering labs. The company plans to release more space-qualified memory and storage products to meet the evolving needs of future missions.