Discovery Semiconductors’ high-speed InGaAs photodiode and balanced photodiodes have been found robust after 18 months on the International Space Station. The photodiodes were part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment 7 mission, which launched Nov. 16, 2009, on the space shuttle Atlantis. They returned June 1, 2011, on the Endeavor space shuttle. NASA’s Langley Research Center launched them as part of its lidar transceiver components and recently released them to Discovery Semiconductors for further study. “Over the next few months, we will be studying carefully not only the electro-optical characteristics of these InGaAs photodiodes, but also other parts of the modules such as fiber optic cables, fiber optic connectors, metal housings, millimeter-wave substrates, solder joints, amongst other things,” said Abhay Joshi, president and CEO of Discovery Semiconductors. “This data will allow us to design even better and rugged InGaAs photodiode modules for future space flights.” For more information, visit: www.discoverysemi.com