On the cosmic ray influence on the electronics design of a high altitude electric aircraft

Space in Earth's orbit is growing more and more scares. High altitude solar electric drones, known as High Altitude Pseudo-Satellites (HAPS), are becoming a viable solution to replace satellite functions. One of the issues that must be faced in their design are cosmic rays (CR). CR can cause failures in power electronics and their flux is significantly higher with altitude. Additionally, with lower pressures, arcing and thermal management become issues as well. This study aims to determine the effects of cosmic radiation at stratospheric altitudes and fix guidelines to be able to answer how to design a high-altitude electric aircraft power plant.