Measurements of the SEU environment in the upper atmosphere

Regular flights of a cosmic radiation environment monitor on board the supersonic Concorde have allowed mapping of the atmospheric environment to 60000 feet. Results show the importance of secondary particles produced by nuclear reactions in the atmosphere. Thus far there have been no upset recorded in the microprocessor or memory incorporated in the experiment. Based on the environment data obtained to date and limited data on upset cross-sections for similar devices, it is estimated that upsets will occur at a rate of approximately one per 50000 flight hours. >