When you think about it, it’s amazing that something as massive and distant as cosmic radiation is unobtrusively messing with our gadgets. But it is.

Soft Errors

Even down here on Earth, tiny space particles making it through our atmosphere can sometimes sneak in and flip bits in semiconductor memory. These "soft errors" aren't permanent hardware killers, but can be difficult to deal with: hard to predict, even harder to trace, and tricky to reproduce in the laboratory.

A soft error happens when a high-energy particle slams into a semiconductor and toggles a stored bit from a 0 to a 1 (or vice versa). The chip itself stays physically fine and a quick reboot or data overwrite usually sorts out the problem. The problem is how random and difficult to predict they are. While such hits are rare, they happen often enough that large-scale systems and safety-critical tech can't ignore them.

Bearing in mind the fact that the atmosphere naturally filters out most particles hitting the Earth, it won't surprise you to know that the risk of soft errors is far, far higher once you head out into space.

NTT and its research partner Hokkaido University think it's a problem worth considering and have joined up to study how different types of cosmic radiation impact semiconductors, focusing on how to predict and evaluate soft errors more efficiently. It's the right time: as more and more companies move into satellite services and orbital data processing, understanding and managing the risks coming from space radiation is shifting from being a niche area of interest just to researchers to a basic business requirement.

Protons and Neutrons are Different

Until now, finding ways to understand soft error risks has been both expensive and time-consuming. One issue is that particles don't all behave the same way—protons dominate in space, while neutrons are the main supervillains at ground level. Protons are the high-speed space travelers that strike our atmosphere, while neutrons are secondary particles produced when those protons collide with air molecules. To simulate different environments, researchers have had to switch between different beam setups to hit specific energy levels. These tests are pricey and the waitlists for suitable facilities are long, which creates a barrier for any company trying to figure the soft error conundrum out.

Things may be about to change.

... But Maybe Not That Different?

NTT and Hokkaido University recently demonstrated something potentially huge: in high-energy environments, protons and neutrons cause soft errors at virtually the same rate. Think about it: if neutron-induced errors can essentially "stand in" for proton errors in testing, that makes it practical to conduct a single type of experiment to check systems headed for orbit.

And frankly, neutron testing is just easier. Neutron beams can cover more ground and penetrate deeper into hardware, allowing engineers to test entire systems rather than just individual chips. That shift from component-level to system-level testing is part of why this research is exciting: modern tech isn't just a collection of isolated parts; it’s a web of interacting software and hardware where one tiny fault can ripple out and crash the whole machine.

Easier Measurement

There's another thing to note about NTT and Hokkaido U's research: the chance of a soft error isn't only to do with the number of particles hitting; it's also about their energy. It’s a combination of how many hits an object takes and how heavy those hits are. Measuring this combination across a broad energy spectrum has always been tough. By sharpening their measurement tools and stretching the energy range of neutron experiments, the research team can now capture that whole relationship in one go.

The end result? Less cost and much less complexity, with fewer experiments required. For companies building space-bound tech, this potentially lowers the entry fee for the industry. It also lets engineers catch risks early in the design phase, rather than finding a flaw when it’s too late or too expensive to fix.

To Boldly Go...

NTT and Hokkaido University are already planning to run experiments on the International Space Station as part of the PEGASEUS (Payload for Evaluation of Guarding Against Single Event Upset in Space) project. Watch this space!

There’s something exciting about the fact that the same invisible particles passing through us right now are finally being decoded. By understanding these tiny interactions at the bit level, they're helping us build more reliable technology, whether it's sitting on your desk or orbiting miles above your head.

Innovating a Sustainable Future for People and Planet

For further information, please see this link:
https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/2026/02/27/260227a.html

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Daniel O'Connor

Daniel O'Connor joined the NTT Group in 1999 when he began work as the Public Relations Manager of NTT Europe. While in London, he liaised with the local press, created the company's intranet site, wrote technical copy for industry magazines and managed exhibition stands from initial design to finished displays.

Later seconded to the headquarters of NTT Communications in Tokyo, he contributed to the company's first-ever winning of global telecoms awards and the digitalisation of internal company information exchange.

Since 2015 Daniel has created content for the Group's Global Leadership Institute, the One NTT Network and is currently working with NTT R&D teams to grow public understanding of the cutting-edge research undertaken by the NTT Group.