It’s often said that Michigan State University (MSU) prepares students for jobs that aren’t invented yet – Dimash Aimurzayev is proof of that.
The master’s student in electrical engineering has been performing space radiation tests on electronic circuits in a second-floor lab of the engineering building. He spent this past summer at Texas Instruments (TI) in Dallas doing the same thing and plans to continue that work as a test engineer at TI when he graduates in May 2023.
“Currently, I am working on research and development of devices that TI sent to us,” he said. “Students need to learn how circuits are designed and built, and also understand the physics of how they perform in harsh environments.”
And space, according to Aimurzayev, is about as harsh as it gets for electronics.
“We’re testing how well circuits will perform in space. TI offers us the best of two worlds – a chance to explore both technical and physical performance of the devices we’re working with.”
It’s that kind of space-level applications that will be developed in the new MSU Space Electronics Center, a collaboration of MSU’s College of Engineering, the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) and TI. Students and researchers will focus on the effects of ionizing radiation on electrical circuits and systems.
“The Space Electronics Center will put MSU at the forefront of space-sector development and research,” Aimurzayev added. “It will be another milestone for East Lansing.”
Andy Fondaw, a senior in electrical engineering, said the increased demand for space-worthy electronics will make students with experience in the Space Electronics Center extremely valuable to future employers. Fondaw will graduate in May 2023 and plans to become an applications and radiation test engineer at TI on their space-power electronics team.
“Hands-on research in a field as specific as 'space electronics' isn't really offered in the average undergraduate class selection,” Fondaw said. “Students who choose to participate in the opportunities at the new center will gain a unique insight into this emerging field. Hopefully, some of our breakthroughs will allow us to explore further into the stars.”
Jorge Pena Lozano, a senior in electrical engineering, said he is excited that the Space Electronics Center will put MSU at the forefront of technological development. After graduation, Penalozano plans to pursue a master's degree in MSU’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Next summer, he hopes to intern at TI as a product engineer.
“The use of increasingly complex devices in space will continue to flourish,” Pena Lozano explained. “There is a need for facilities where their reliability can be tested for radiation conditions in space. As a student getting access and insight through MSU, I am learning the protocols that will qualify devices for space. It will give us an advantage in a growing field,” he added.
Currently, most of the student research is on computers. Students use workbooks to study whether it is possible to modify devices that are already radiation hardened.
Aimurzayev said he searches for ways to bypass circuit board regulators or level shifters to provide a power supply directly to the device.
“That function is a requirement for single event latch up (SEL) testing, one of the space radiation tests performed by TI. It’s where a single energetic particle passing through sensitive regions of a device can cause the device to lose its functionality. SELs may cause permanent damage; that’s why it must be rigorously tested.”
Aimurzayev said heightened rigor is particularly important because commercial activity in space has more than tripled in the past decade.
“SpaceX, OneWeb, Telesat and Amazon will launch as many as 46,100 satellites in the next few years. Quality-grade electronic components are a must for the control systems of space technology.
“We’re working on making devices more sustainable, and that’s where FRIB is so important,” Aimurzayev continued. “Fifteen minutes of acceleration research at FRIB equals 150 years in space. The radiation-hardened circuits will perform well for a long time, and it’s happening just as the commercial space electronics market is booming.”
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