A Novice’s Look at Sidus Space
Posing a Simple Question About Commercial Chips in a Radiation-Filled World
Important Disclaimer
This is not financial advice. I am a complete novice at this type of research. I hold degrees in Engineering Physics (B.S.) and Electrical & Electronics Engineering (M.S.), but my conclusions could be entirely wrong. I have previously bought and sold securities in both Sidus Space (SIDU) and Draganfly (DPRO). This report is for informational purposes only and represents my personal line of questioning. Do your own research. I am not responsible for any financial gains or losses.
The Central Conflict
Sidus Space, a company working on space and defense technology, has announced the use of NVIDIA’s Jetson platform for its on-orbit AI processing. This raises a fundamental question about equipment survivability in space. Let’s look at the two conflicting sides of this story.
Side A: The Company’s Claim
Sidus Space states its LizzieSat™ satellites use AI for “next-generation intelligence solutions” and touts its “AI-driven on-orbit capabilities.”
“Sidus Space … announced the successful on-orbit operation of its Automatic Identification System (AIS) sensor onboard LizzieSat®-3… advancing the company’s strategy to fuse multi-sensor satellite data with onboard artificial intelligence…” – Sidus Space Press Release, Sep 10, 2025
Side B: The Technical Reality
The processor at the heart of their AI strategy, the NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX, is a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) component. It was never designed or intended for use in space.
“The NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX System-on-Module (SoM) is unequivocally not a radiation-hardened device… Its official product documentation makes no claims regarding its suitability for aerospace or radiation environments…” – An Engineering Assessment of the NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX
Hardened vs. Tolerant: What’s the Difference?
To understand the risk, we need to know the key terminology. “Radiation Hardened” and “Radiation Tolerant” sound similar, but they represent fundamentally different engineering philosophies and levels of reliability.
Built for Purpose
These components are intentionally designed from the ground up to survive the harsh radiation of space. This involves specialized manufacturing processes (like Silicon-on-Insulator), redundant circuit designs, and materials that resist radiation damage. The manufacturer provides a guaranteed performance specification (e.g., will survive up to 100 krad(Si)).
A Staggering Difference in Resilience
Independent testing reveals the gap between the Jetson Orin NX’s tolerance and the guaranteed resilience of true rad-hard chips. The metric here is Total Ionizing Dose (TID), measured in krad(Si). A higher number means better protection.
Processor Head-to-Head
Here’s how the commercial Jetson Orin NX stacks up against two processors actually designed for the rigors of space. Note the trade-off: immense performance for unguaranteed reliability.
| Metric | NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX | BAE Systems RAD5545 | Frontgrade Gaisler GR740 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | COTS (Commercial) | Rad-Hard by Design | Rad-Hard by Design |
| AI Performance | Up to 100 TOPS | N/A | N/A |
| TID Rating | ~37-39 krad(Si) (Tested) | 100 krad(Si) (Guaranteed) | 300 krad(Si) (Guaranteed) |
| Destructive Latchup | Not Immune (Requires external protection) | Latchup Immune (Guaranteed) | Latchup Immune (Guaranteed) |
| Manufacturer Stance | Not intended for space | Designed for SpaceVPX | QML-V Certified for space |
So, How Do You Square the Two?
On one hand, we have a company making exciting claims about AI in space. On the other, the hardware enabling these claims appears fundamentally unsuited for the operating environment without significant, undisclosed, and expensive mitigation strategies (like advanced shielding or complex watchdog systems).
Is this the “New Space” paradigm of accepting higher risk for higher performance? Or is it a critical vulnerability being overlooked? As a novice, I don’t have the answer. But the question seems worth asking.
Primary Documents & Datasheets
- Sidus Space. (2025, September 10). Sidus Space Elevates Data Fusion Capabilities with Automatic Identification System (AIS) Commissioning [Press release]. Business Wire. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=https://investors.sidusspace.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/252/
- Sidus Space. (2025, March 17). Sidus Space Successfully Launches LizzieSat™-3, Expanding AI-Driven On-Orbit Capabilities [Press release]. Business Wire. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=https://investors.sidusspace.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/226/
- NVIDIA Corporation. (2022). NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX Series Datasheet (DS-10712-001 v0.5). Retrieved from NVIDIA official product documentation.
- NVIDIA Developer Forums & Official Communications: Multiple citations refer to official statements from NVIDIA, likely on their public developer forums or through direct communication, confirming that Jetson products are not designed, tested, or intended for aerospace or radiation environments. Citation specifically points to discussions regarding the complexities of thermal management for the Orin NX.
- Academic or Industry Papers on “New Space” Applications: These citations likely refer to publications discussing the growing demand for on-orbit AI and edge computing for applications such as advanced remote sensing, in-orbit servicing, and autonomous navigation. Citation also refers to a specific announcement by Aethero and Cosmic Shielding Corp. regarding a planned orbital test of the Jetson Orin NX on a SpaceX mission.
- Foundational Texts on Space Radiation Effects: These references, particularly, appear to be comprehensive sources on the effects of radiation on electronics in space. They cover fundamental concepts such as Total Ionizing Dose (TID), Single Event Effects (SEE), the trade-offs between COTS and rad-hard components, and standard shielding practices.
- Comparative Study of COTS vs. Rad-Hard Processors: This source is cited for the claim that modern COTS processors can achieve a significant performance speedup (over 30 times) compared to their radiation-hardened counterparts.
- NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX Datasheet: These citations point to specific technical specifications found in the official NVIDIA datasheet, including AI performance (TOPS), power consumption range, and memory bandwidth.
- 2024 Study on TID Testing of Jetson Orin NX: A key source, likely a peer-reviewed conference paper or journal article published in 2024, that details the methodology and results of Total Ionizing Dose (TID) testing on the Orin NX. This study established the empirical survival threshold of approximately 36-39 krad(Si).
- Research on SEE Vulnerabilities of the Orin SoC: This reference likely details Single Event Effects (SEE) testing, identifying the SEFI cross-section and highlighting the particular vulnerability of the operating system kernel and memory management units during reboots.
- General Text on Single Event Latchup (SEL): A source describing the physics and potentially destructive nature of Single Event Latchup in CMOS devices.
- BAE Systems RAD5545 Datasheet/Documentation: This citation refers to the official specifications for the BAE Systems RAD5545 processor, confirming its status as radiation-hardened by design and its immunity to latchup.
- Frontgrade Gaisler GR740 Datasheet/Documentation: This citation refers to the official specifications for the GR740 processor, confirming its high TID rating, latchup immunity, and space qualifications (QML-V, EPPL).
- IEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference (NSREC): A general reference to the premier academic and industry conference where research on radiation effects, like that conducted on the Orin NX, is typically presented.
- 2024 ESCIES Symposium Paper on Orin SoC Family: This reference points to a comprehensive study presented at the 2024 European Symposium on Components and their Reliability in Space (ESCIES). It provided precise TID failure thresholds, SEL LET thresholds, and SEFI cross-section data for the Orin SoC family.
- Research Paper on Leveraging ARM RAS for SEE Analysis: This source likely discusses the novel methodology of using the ARM processor’s built-in “Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability” (RAS) features to perform detailed, fine-grained analysis of Single Event Effects.
- Standards and Services for COTS Component Qualification: These citations refer to industry practices for qualifying COTS components for space use. … specifically names the NASA PEM-INST-001 standard for Plastic Encapsulated Microelectronics, while … refers to the services offered by specialized up-screening and qualification companies.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.