On Jul. 30 this year, an Earth observation satellite developed through the "NISAR" project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was launched into space from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in southern India. The satellite orbits Earth from space, observing ecosystems, surface changes, and glaciers to provide information on natural disasters, sea level rise, and groundwater. In the extreme environment of space, the Earth observation satellite must precisely analyze data and communicate with researchers on Earth, and there was a company that played a supporting role in this. It was Texas Instruments Incorporated, a U.S. semiconductor company.
TI is a corporations seasoned in the field of space-grade semiconductors. TI was also the company that supplied semiconductors to "Apollo 11," the first mission to land humans on the moon. In 1954, TI opened a new chapter in semiconductor history by developing the core semiconductor device, the "silicon transistor," for the first time in the world, and it grew its business by supplying proven-reliability semiconductors to the space, aviation, and defense sectors. Since the 1960s, it has provided space semiconductor solutions, including supplying integrated circuits (ICs) installed on satellites orbiting Earth.
TI began in 1941 as an oil exploration company called "Geophysical Service" and changed its name to its current one in 1951. After it commercialized the silicon transistor for the first time in the world, TI engineer Jack Kilby, a Nobel Prize in physics laureate, invented in 1958 the "integrated circuit (IC)," considered the backbone of semiconductors, and the company shifted into the semiconductor business. TI's revenue last year was $15.64 billion (22.3073 trillion won), and it is an integrated device manufacturer (IDM) that designs and manufactures analog and Power Semiconductor used in automobiles, telecommunications equipment, and data centers.
Jason Clark, TI's head of aerospace systems, said in a written interview with ChosunBiz on the 1st, "From supplying parts for the Apollo 11 moon landing mission to probes, satellites, and telescopes, we have supported countless achievements in humanity's efforts to pioneer new frontiers," adding, "TI will work with various space agencies and corporations around the world to realize future space exploration projects." Clark graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the United States and joined TI in 1998, where for about 28 years he has handled product marketing and aerospace systems semiconductor development.
For the NISAR project, TI supplies radiation-tolerant and radiation-hardened semiconductors. These semiconductors are specially designed and manufactured to withstand external environmental factors such as radiation, temperature, and mechanical shock. Mounted on satellites orbiting beyond Earth, they handle roles such as power management, high-speed data transmission, and precise signaling. TI has participated since the early stages of the NISAR project and has collaborated across all phases over the past 10-plus years, from component design to the supply of finished goods.
Clark said, "Satellites must endure extreme environments such as high radiation, severe temperature changes, and vacuum conditions while orbiting for years," adding, "System components are specially designed to be reliable and to operate normally over long periods, and all products support an operating temperature of -55 to 125℃." The following is a Q&A with Clark.
— What is the background to TI's support for the NISAR project.
"Since designing the first integrated circuits (ICs) in the 1960s, TI has developed space-grade semiconductor solutions for more than 60 years. TI's semiconductors have supported countless achievements in humanity's efforts to pioneer new frontiers, from supplying parts for the Apollo 11 moon landing mission to various probes, satellites, and telescopes.
Given that we have the industry's most extensive and diverse portfolio of space-grade semiconductors, customers wanted to work with TI, and TI helped customers maximize precision and performance in satellite systems. TI engineers provided technical expertise throughout the NISAR project so that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) could meet the system requirements of low Earth orbit satellites. By collaborating from the component selection stage through the entire development cycle, we ensured that the NISAR satellite could operate stably even in the harsh environment of space during its mission period."
— What functions do the TI semiconductors mounted on the satellite launched this time perform.
"TI's space-grade semiconductors help sample images at ultra-high speed to convert analog signals to digital and visualize areas detected by radar. We also implemented the "advanced S-band SAR function," a technology that observes Earth's surface at high resolution. A satellite operates with various integrated systems, and we supply communication semiconductors that allow them to communicate smoothly with each other. Most important is maximizing the reliability of all these semiconductors so they can withstand cryogenic and extremely high temperatures, which was made possible through customized design and manufacturing optimized for the satellite's internal and external environments."
— Reliability and durability are required in the harsh environment of space.
"Satellites must endure extreme environments such as high radiation levels, severe temperature fluctuations, and vacuum conditions while orbiting for years. TI designs and tests space-certified products to withstand these harsh conditions. All products support an operating temperature of -55 to 125℃ and are built with rugged packaging materials. Once a satellite is in orbit, it is difficult to repair hardware, so it is important that the system components are reliable and operate normally over long periods."
— Were there any difficulties during the development process.
"In the process of developing low Earth orbit satellites, you must be able to control unexpected variables. The top priority is that all electronic components must withstand the harsh environment of space, while at the same time size, weight, and power must be optimized for the satellite's environment. This is directly linked to reducing launch expense, improving system efficiency, and extending mission life. TI supplied radiation-tolerant, hardened power management semiconductors to modules developed by the Space Applications Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation to meet various requirements of the NISAR mission, including size, weight, and power."
— What is the significance of this project and TI's future goals.
"As demand grows for in-orbit data processing and transmission, high-resolution imaging, and precision sensing, the manufacturing complexity of satellite systems is increasing. To meet these customer needs, TI is actively investing in space-grade analog, embedded processing—computer systems installed inside devices—and power management semiconductors. With this project proceeding successfully, TI's technological capabilities have been proven once again. Over the past year, TI has released more than 50 radiation-tolerant and radiation-hardened products and plans to continue these efforts. Expanding the portfolio helps aerospace engineers optimize size, weight, and power and equip spacecraft with more advanced capabilities. In doing so, we will help humanity understand and explore Earth and space more deeply."