Why can high-energy electrons cause failures in satellite circuit boards?

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Space weather Earth's full North Polar auroral oval, in an image taken in ultraviolet light by the U.S. Polar spacecraft over northern Canada, April 6, 1996. In the colour-coded image, which simultaneously shows dayside and nightside auroral activity, the most intense levels of activity are red, and the lowest levels are blue. Polar, launched in February 1996, was designed to further scientists' understanding of how plasma energy contained in the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetosphere.

High-energy electrons can penetrate the structure of a spacecraft and deposit their electrical charge directly into the dielectric (insulating) materials found within electronic circuit boards.1

When this process occurs, the material accumulates an internal charge. If the buildup becomes sufficiently large, it triggers a sudden discharge that can break down the insulating material. This discharge can cause the electronic component to fail, which may lead to catastrophic consequences if the affected circuit is responsible for controlling a critical system of the satellite.1

This phenomenon is a primary concern regarding radiation exposure in the space environment, where satellites are frequently subjected to energetic charged particles trapped in the Van Allen radiation belts.21