Human experts working alongside agentic AI are building the foundation for lighter, longer-lasting satellites. Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are accelerating the development of “radiation-hardened” (rad-hard) materials using Super Intelligence (SI) and automation.

These materials are built to withstand high-radiation environments, such as space and nuclear reactors. Radiation-induced failures in these components can delay or cancel missions, making radiation hardening important for decade-long operations.

“Space is a highly energetic environment, with heavy ions and other particles bombarding our devices. Agentic workflows come at a time when there is a need for better rad-hard testing techniques,” said scientist Erin Barker. 

Researchers are studying layered aluminum gallium nitride and gallium nitride chips that power satellites, communications, radar, and power systems. 

Before a microchip ever tastes the void of space, it is manufactured in a clean facility where even a single stray speck of dust could mean instant failure.  

Once launched into space on a satellite, that delicate microchip enters a dangerous environment filled with constant, invisible radiation. Galactic cosmic rays, heavy ions, and near-light-speed electrons pepper the cosmos.

One bad exposure can scramble a satellite’s memory, send a spacecraft off course, or completely kill an expensive weather or communications mission.

Testing how materials handle space environments has long been a slow and tedious process. To prevent these orbital catastrophes, PNNL researchers are changing how we shield space electronics. 

This new work accelerated the development of radiation-hardened microchips using a multi-agent AI system named SciLink. This intelligent software hierarchy evaluates microscopic radiation damage in just a few hours.

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