New Millennium DS-2 electronic packaging smaller, faster with “managed” risk

New Millennium DS-2 is the second project of the New Millennium Program series, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The project consists of a pair of probes, that will be carried by the Mars ´98 spacecraft. After release from the Mars ´98 Lander cruise stage, both probes will autonomously enter the atmosphere and penetrate into the Martian surface upon impact. After impact and penetration, a soil sample is taken and analyzed for the presence of water. In addition, other atmospheric and meteorological science is also performed during descent and after penetration. To create this small penetrator, several new technologies were chosen, including a modified direct chip attach (DCA) packaging technology. This paper describes the development of the DS-2 DCA electronic packaging technology, particularly in the area of environmental protection, substrates, and interconnects. Additional topics include the collaboration between this development and NASA technology development programs, as well as follow-on developments for new programs at JPL