Conclusions

Abstract

The capability of adapting a system to a changing environment, to correct bugs, and to evolve system capabilities when it is already deployed in the field is likely to be more and more exploited in future space mission, and reconfigurable FPGAs will play a crucial role in this future. Moreover, the small production volume of electronic systems for space use, in combination with needs for reducing the time to market, is pushing toward the replacement of ASICs with FPGAs in many applications. Nowadays, reconfigurable FPGAs are starting to appear in some applications aiming at space, but they are far from widely used.