What is CREME96?

The Cosmic Ray Effects on Micro-Electronics (1996 Revision) is a suite of programs for:

• creating numerical models of the ionizing radiation environment in near-Earth orbits;
• evaluating the resulting radiation effects on electronic systems in spacecraft and in high-altitude aircraft;
• estimating the high LET radiation environment within manned spacecraft.

CREME was first developed in 1981 by a team led by Dr. Jim Adams of the Cosmic Ray Physics Section at Naval Research Laboratory. Since then, CREME has become a widely-used design tool in the aerospace industry. In addition, many other codes, which address the same issues as CREME, have incorporated routines from the original CREME program suite.

Since the CREME update in 1986, there have been many advances, both in our knowledge of the space radiation environment and in our understanding of how this environment affects spacecraft electronics. With these advances, it is now possible to make more accurate assessments of a how an electronic system will perform in space. Improved accuracy in radiation-hazard assessment is critical for cost-effectiveness: an over-designed system drives up costs; an under-designed system may experience costly operation anomalies or even risk mission failure.

A team of scientists and engineers, led by the Cosmic Ray Physics Section of the High Energy Space Environment Branch at Naval Research Laboratory, has produced this first release of CREME96. This work has been supported by NASA's Space Environmental Effects (SEE) Program and the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

All of the models and capabilities of CREME96 are superior to the corresponding elements of previous versions of the CREME code. Comparisons to on-orbit data have demonstrated the accuracy of the model improvements. (See the CREME96 References for details.) CREME96 was extensively beta-tested by volunteer users over the Internet, and no errors were reported in the CREME96 models. CREME96 should therefore be used instead of previous versions of CREME.

However, use of the old CREME code is often a contractual requirement. Both NRL and NASA strongly emphasize that it it the responsibility of the user to obtain permission from his/her sponsor(s) before using CREME96 for space-system design.

The Government of the United States (including the Naval Research Laboratory, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, their officers, employees, and agents) make no representation, warranty, or any other type of undertaking with respect to the use of the "Cosmic Ray Effects on Micro Electronics - 1996 Revision" software suite (CREME96) by any user. The Government expressly disclaims all liability for damages of any kind arising out of the use of or reliance on CREME96. No guarantees or warranties, including (but not limited to) any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular use or purpose, are made by the Government with respect to the use of CREME96. Except as provided by the Federal Tort Claims Act, the Government shall not be liable to any user of CREME96 for any claims whatsoever, including loss of revenue, profits, or other indirect or consequential damages.