Electronic systems designs headed to space naturally require high reliability, but the design task is further complicated by exposure to radiation that can cause sporadic circuit failures. From a functional perspective, FPGAs with inherent reconfigurable attributes are a perfect match for space. FPGAs enable a single system to perform multiple tasks and let mission teams remotely reconfigure a system, either fixing a bug or adding new functionality. Now Xilinx has an FPGA—the Virtex-5QV—that is radhard and can deliver the full benefits of programmability to space programs. The design teams get an off-the-shelf solution with all the advantages of a 65-nanometer commercial SRAM-based FPGA, including ready access to development and prototyping tools.