Radiation effects on electronic devices in space

The natural space environment is responsible for many disturbances on electronics systems on-board spacecraft. This paper focuses on the Single Event Effects (SEE) at the origin of most observed in-flight anomalies. Insight on the underlying physical mechanisms and criticality of such events is provided through actual examples. The methodologies to assess the devices sensitivities (testing and modelling) and predict the mission operation are described with emphasis on the critical parameters to deal with. Finally, the general trends and perspectives related to the technological evolution of components are addressed.