Packaging and qualification of MEMS-based space systems

The number of spacecraft designed and built over the next century will grow exponentially as communication satellite networks proliferate and NASA continues to push towards the development of many microspacecraft to replace its traditional "grand tour" space vehicles. Costs in the space industry are measured in terms of weight (dollars per pound launched) and reliability. Unit costs pale in comparison to launch costs and the cost of replacing an entire vehicle in the case of a catastrophic failure. Space systems present a unique application for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology which can be applied to miniaturize many of the subsystems in a space vehicle, and can improve overall reliability. This paper identifies potential applications of MEMS in a space system, describes space environmental factors, and reviews efforts to develop appropriate packaging and space qualification methodologies. Finally, a flight experiment for testing the performance of typical MEMS devices and packages in the space environment is described.