Toward the Use of Electronic Commercial Off-the-Shelf Devices in Space: Assessment of the True Radiation Environment in Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Low Earth orbit missions have become crucial for a variety of applications, from scientific research to commercial purposes. Exposure to ionizing radiation in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) poses a significant risk to both spacecraft and astronauts. In this article, we analyze radiation data obtained from different LEO missions to evaluate the potential of using electronic commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) devices in space missions. This study is focused on the total ionizing dose (TID). Our results demonstrate that COTS technology can effectively provide cost-effective and reliable solutions for space applications. Furthermore, we compare the data obtained from actual missions with computational models and tools, such as SPENVIS, to evaluate the accuracy of these models and enhance radiation exposure prediction. This comparison provides valuable insights into the true radiation environment in space and helps us to better understand the potential of COTS technology in reducing costs and development times by utilizing technology previously used in other areas. In light of the results, we can see that the radiation values observed experimentally in space missions versus the computer simulations used present variations up to a factor of 30 depending on the model used in the analysis.