Radiation-hardened space electronics don’t get splashy headlines, but nothing in orbit works without them. Starship, the ISS, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, Starlink... the whole caboodle depends on hardware that keeps running when the vacuum, extreme temperatures, and radiation of space would annihilate your laptop plug on Earth.

The extreme environments of space are no place for trial and error with the small things.  

Danny Andreev, CEO of Sunburn Schematics, designs those systems for real missions. In this episode of Thinking on Paper, he walks you through what actually keeps spacecraft alive: particle-induced faults, gate-driver failures, thermal shock, and the methods space companies use to mitigate the risks.

We go from chip-level physics to the industrial picture: why the next phase of space isn’t glossy renders but an off-world supply chain built from proven terrestrial machinery, cheaper short-lived satellites, and megawatt-class power standards that mirror EV infrastructure.

It’s an unromantic, inside-the-factory look at how space becomes an industry rather than a spectacle.

What we cover:

- Radiation effects and how engineers harden real hardware

- Why thermal cycling destroys more missions than radiation

- How chips are stress-tested for orbit

- The economics of moving from billion-dollar craft to replaceable fleets

- Why the first lunar machines will look like modified construction gear

- The engineering mindset needed for a multi-planet infrastructure

This is a technical, grounded conversation for people who build things and curious minds who want to learn why and how.

Please enjoy the show. And subscribe. That's the best way to help other people find the channel.

Cheers,

Mark & Jeremy.

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TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Thinking On Paper Trailer

(02:59) The Role of DC to DC Converters in Space

(03:46) Challenges of Power Systems in Space

(05:30) Designing for Reliability in Space

(07:13) The Impact of Radiation on Electronics

(08:52) Testing and Validation of Space Electronics

(11:03) Environmental Challenges for Space Electronics

(12:28) Success Rates and Lessons Learned

(15:22) The Importance of Music in Space Missions

(22:30) The Future of Space Exploration

(25:23) Building a Lunar Economy

(27:51) Power Conversion in Space

(31:57) Exciting Developments in Space Technology

(35:13) Philosophical Insights on Space and Life

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