Polaris Semiconductor Powers Up Space Flight Heritage Experiment Aboard the International Space Station
Alexandria, VA – March 9, 2026 – Polaris Semiconductor is excited to announce that our Enhanced Linear Regulator (ELR) space qualification experiment aboard the International Space Station is now operational and transmitting data. The experiment was successfully powered up on January 8, 2026, and has since accumulated over 1000 hours of continuous on-orbit operation with the devices under test performing as expected.
Polaris's ELR technology addresses a fundamental challenge in power management: the traditional tradeoff between efficiency, noise, and size. By combining silicon linear regulators with proprietary GaAs photovoltaic optocouplers, ELRs deliver the ultra-low noise performance of linear regulators with efficiency approaching that of switching converters—without the electromagnetic interference that switching regulators introduce.
The ISS experiment, sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory and launched to the ISS aboard JAXA's HTV-X1 resupply mission, will validate ELR performance in the demanding thermal and radiation environment of low Earth orbit over the next five months. Data collected on-orbit is being compared against a ground-based control experiment here in Alexandria, VA, enabling direct characterization of space environment effects on device performance.
"Seeing those first data points arrive was a pivotal moment for our team," said Dr. Matthew Lumb, CEO of Polaris Semiconductor. "This is a significant milestone for Polaris as we build space flight heritage for our ELR technology."
Polaris will share updates, data, and imagery as the experiment progresses.
This milestone was made possible through the support of Aegis Aerospace Inc., ISS National Lab, Space Development Agency, AFWERX, VIPC, FlashPCB, Air Force Research Laboratory, and JAXA.
About Polaris Semiconductor
Polaris Semiconductor designs and manufactures advanced DC voltage regulators optimized for ultra-low noise, compact integration, and high efficiency across aerospace, defense, RF, precision sensing, instrumentation, and high-performance computing sectors. Based in Alexandria, VA, the company’s mission is to break through conventional limits in DC power design.
More information: www.polarissemiconductor.com
