AMD expands space portfolio, boosts in-orbit processing capabilities

AMD has developed an improved, space-qualifiable organic lidless package for the adaptive SoC Versal AI Core XQRVC1902 and is pursuing Class Y qualification for it. The new packaging technology is designed to support space missions lasting up to 15 years, thereby providing a reliable foundation for geostationary satellites, lunar missions, and deep-space probes. According to AMD, space applications are often active for many years and therefore require maximum reliability; the optimized packaging is designed for these demands and benefits from a lidless design that improves thermal performance. AMD is also working to qualify additional Versal families for space use, including Versal RF (VR1602 and VR1652) and Versal AI Edge Gen 2 (2VE3858 and 2VE3558), which are intended to meet Class B and Class Y standards. Both classes are based on the U.S. military specification MIL-PRF-38535, which evaluates chips for use in highly reliable applications—including performance, quality, and long-term reliability. Class B addresses missions with high reliability requirements but shorter durations or greater budget and schedule sensitivity, such as low-Earth-orbit operations, while Class Y represents maximum security for extremely long or deep-space missions and includes extended testing, screening, and documentation standards. "By combining proven adaptive technology with state-of-the-art packaging approaches, we enable our customers to innovate faster and shape the future of space-based systems," said Ken O'Neill, Space Architect at AMD. The new space-certified components expand AMD's leadership in adaptive computing, combining high functional integration, powerful computing performance, and long-term reliability for the next generation of orbital and interplanetary missions