Conference: How can we ensure the reliability of satellites in the face of space radiation?

Cercle Condorcet Lecture: How can we ensure the reliability of satellites in the face of space radiation?

At this lecture, which is open to all, discover the key role played by GANIL in meeting the growing demand for radiation testing. This is a major challenge for innovation, industrial sovereignty and the future of the French space sector.

GANIL is a major national heavy-ion accelerator. A unique research facility in Europe, based in Caen and operated by the CEA and the CNRS (with a staff of around 300), it is open to French, European and international research. This facility offers opportunities for collaboration with industry. Indeed, with the rise of New Space, the increasing use of commercial components and the growing complexity of on-board technologies, the demand for radiation testing is rising sharply. Faced with the risk of existing infrastructure becoming saturated, the SAGA project – led by GANIL in Caen and supported by the Normandy Region and France 2030 – aims to increase space-dedicated testing capacity fivefold by 2030. This is a strategic issue for France’s technological sovereignty, the competitiveness of the space sector and the security of civil and defence programmes.
Speaker: Eloïse Dessay