VLSI Design and Embedded Systems Group

SpaceChip: A Satellite-on-a-Chip Feasibility Study

Sponsored by the US Air Force Research Laboratory

Over the past 20 years there has been a gradual return to missions enabled by smaller satellites that are becoming increasingly capable and cost-effective. The "satellite-on-a-chip" concept can be viewed as the ultimate miniaturization goal of the small satellite platform. This study is focused on the feasibility of monolithic integration of a payload with supporting subsystems all on a commercially available bulk-silicon foundry process. The initial literature review and theoretical paper design reveals that it is not only possible, but will soon be a reality. SpaceChip will make possible a vast array of proposed missions that rely on distributed simultaneous multipoint sensing using thousands of satellite-on-a-chip nodes.

Goals: 1. Monolithically integrate key emerging technologies on commercial bulk-CMOS to produce a fully functional satellite-on-a-chip. 2. Enable future remote sensing, scientific, and interplanetary exploration missions requiring distributed simultaneous multipoint sensing

Publications:

D. Barnhart, T. Vladimirova and M. Sweeting, Satellite-on-a-Chip: A Feasibility Study in Proc. 5th Round Table on Micro/Nano Technologies for Space, Nordwijk, The Netherlands, 2005.

D. Barnhart and T. Vladimirova, Is Satellite-on-a-Chip a Dream or Reality IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine, submitted for publication.