Dr. Thomas P. Barrera Invited to Speak at the 2026 IEEE PEASA Workshop

Dr. Thomas P. Barrera has been invited to present at the 4th Annual IEEE Workshop on Power Electronics for Aerospace Applications (PEASA), taking place July 28–30, 2026, at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.

Previously hosted by the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, PEASA is a premier international forum for advancing aerospace power electronics. The workshop brings together experts in spacecraft electrical power systems (EPS), propulsion electronics, lunar infrastructure, and enabling technologies, including power semiconductors, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and magnetics.

Dr. Barrera's presentation, "Surviving and Recovering from On-Orbit Spacecraft Dead Bus Events," examines one of the most challenging failure scenarios facing spacecraft EPS. Drawing on real mission contingencies, the talk explores how prolonged loss of solar array illumination can drive a spacecraft into safe mode, potentially leading to a low-voltage power bus that compromises thermal control and exposes lithium-ion battery (LIB)-based EPS architectures to extreme low-temperature environments. Oftentimes referred to as a dead bus, Tom's presentation defines the characteristics of spacecraft dead bus event and discusses mission assurance strategies that improve the survivability and recoverability of the spacecraft power bus.

In addition to technical presentations, this year's workshop features poster sessions, tutorials, and special sessions covering emerging space power technologies. Tutorial topics include space environments and electronic component testing.

Tom looks forward to engaging with colleagues from industry, government, and academia and contributing to discussions on the future of resilient spacecraft EPS.