TI’s space-grade semiconductors, engineered to endure extreme orbital conditions, powered NISAR’s advanced S-band SAR by delivering radiation-hardened power management, ultra-fast converters, high-performance interfaces, and precision clocking, optimizing payload efficiency, enabling high-resolution imagery, and ensuring reliable satellite communication

Texas Instruments (TI) semiconductors are at the heart of the radar imaging and scientific payloads for the NASA-Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, recently launched into orbit. This mission marks the culmination of a decade-long collaboration between TI and ISRO, aimed at optimizing the performance of electronic systems critical to Earth observation. The satellite is equipped with TI’s radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant components, designed to maximize power density, precision, and performance in challenging space environments.

Engineering a first-of-its-kind earth observation satellite

The NISAR satellite is described by ISRO as the first Earth-observation mission to employ dual-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, allowing it to capture high-resolution images around the clock and in all weather conditions. TI’s semiconductors support the satellite’s next-generation capabilities by enabling efficient power management, high-speed data transfer, and precise signal sampling and timing.

The satellite will map the entire planet every 12 days, providing scientists with critical insights into changes in ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea-level rise, and groundwater levels. Data from NISAR is also expected to enhance real-time monitoring of natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and landslides.

Nilesh Desai, Director at ISRO’s Space Applications Centre (SAC), stated, “TI’s technical expertise helped us navigate complex payload requirements. This partnership, focused on high-impact mixed signal and analog semiconductors, enabled ISRO to meet the system-level performance standards required for a low Earth orbit mission.”

TI’s space-grade technology tackles design challenges

Throughout the project, TI’s space-grade semiconductors, designed to withstand harsh conditions in orbit, played a key role in enabling the advanced S-band SAR capabilities. Key contributions include:

·        Radiation-hardened power management dies for ISRO’s point-of-load hybrid power modules, optimizing size, weight, and power for payloads.

·        High-resolution, ultra-fast analog-to-digital converters, allowing detailed radar imagery.

·        High-performance interface technology ensuring reliable, high-speed communication between satellite subsystems.

·        Precision clocking solutions for synchronous sampling essential to SAR systems.

Elizabeth Jansen, TI India’s sales and applications director, reflected on the partnership: “As NISAR orbits Earth, our decade-long collaboration demonstrates how TI’s radiation-hardened semiconductors can support cutting-edge space missions. Our broad, reliable space-grade portfolio continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in space exploration.”