Researchers at the A.V. Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics in Novosibirsk have developed a new generation of radiation-resistant non-volatile flash memory designed for use in orbital data centers, interplanetary spacecraft, and space-based supercomputers. The technology is based on special dielectric films with structural defect “traps” that capture and hold electrons, enabling long-term data storage even under intense ionizing radiation.
The team, led by Dr. Vladimir Gritsenko, moved beyond traditional silicon floating-gate transistors to high-permittivity materials such as aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide. At room temperature, the trapped electrons can remain stable for hundreds of years, ensuring data integrity. The new approach also reduces power consumption during data rewrite cycles and increases overall device reliability. The research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation and protected by patents.
The development comes at a time when satellites generate enormous volumes of data, making it increasingly impractical to transmit everything to Earth for processing. Orbital data centers — computing infrastructure located directly in space — could process and store data locally, reducing the load on communication channels and enabling real-time analysis. The researchers are also exploring memory based on entirely different physical principles, such as atom displacement that changes material resistance or polarization. These next-generation devices could operate millions of times faster than current chips and withstand trillions of rewrite cycles, paving the way for universal memory that combines RAM and storage in a single component.
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