As space missions travel farther from Earth, spacecraft must process and store increasing amounts of data on their own. Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to become the primary tool for managing this growing volume of information. NAND flash memory is the current leading storage technology. It provides high capacity in the terabit range, meaning trillions of bits of data, and is the same kind used in laptops, smartphones, and data centers.
Radiation in harsh space environments poses a major challenge. High-energy particles can corrupt data stored as trapped electric charges in conventional memory. Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a new form of NAND flash memory based on ferroelectricity. Ferroelectricity is the ability of certain materials to hold a permanent electric polarization, a built-in electric state that represents data without relying on trapped charges.
This new memory stores information through polarization in the material rather than electric charges. As a result, it can withstand radiation levels up to 30 times higher than standard NAND flash memory.
Radiation testing reveals strong performance
Prototype chips were built in cleanroom facilities and sent for radiation testing. They endured doses as high as one million rads. A rad is a unit that measures the amount of radiation energy absorbed by a material. This level equals exposure from about 100 million X-rays. It meets requirements for satellites in low-Earth orbit, geostationary satellites, and deep space missions exploring distant regions such as Jupiter’s moons.
The advance allows spacecraft to run AI applications reliably while keeping critical data intact. It works even when communication delays prevent contact with Earth. Traditional memory would fail under these conditions. The technology supports more capable and durable electronics for future exploration, reducing risks from radiation damage in extreme environments.
The researchers have described the methods and results of this study in a paper published in Nano Letters.