Space electronic devices welcome revolutionary breakthroughs. Satellites will be lighter, more durable, and more energy-efficient.

The electronic equipment that works stably in space is the "lifeline" for satellite communication and deep space exploration. However, the harsh space radiation environment can easily lead to equipment damage and is difficult to repair. Traditional reinforcement techniques often come at the cost of increased weight, volume, and power consumption. On January 29, the team of Zhou Peng and Ma Shunli from the National Key Laboratory of Integrated Circuits and Systems at Fudan University's School of Microelectronics and Innovation completed the verification of a new radio frequency communication system based on novel atomic layer semiconductor materials in space for the first time, providing a new solution to this problem. The research results were published under the title "Radiation-resistant Atomic-Level RF System for Spaceborne Communications" in the main journal Nature on January 29, 2026 Beijing time. The system, nicknamed "Qingniao", was carried on a low Earth orbit satellite and operated in orbit for over nine months. During the experiment, it successfully transmitted a stable space communication signal to the ground using a photo of the "Fudan University School Song" manuscript as a signal. Impressively, even after long-term radiation exposure, the signal transmission remained highly clear and accurate. Analysis shows that this technology can greatly increase the theoretical working lifespan of related equipment to several hundred years in synchronous orbit, while consuming only a fraction of the energy of traditional systems. This means that future satellites are expected to become lighter, more durable, and more energy-efficient, providing crucial technological support for building a more reliable global satellite internet and pushing deep space exploration even further. This breakthrough represents a significant step of atomic layer semiconductor materials from the laboratory to space applications, and has the potential to lead space electronic technology into a new development stage.