Suborbital Flight Demonstration of Ionizing Radiation Dosimeters for Use in the Upper Atmosphere

The Suborbital Flight Demonstration of Ionizing Radiation Dosimeters for Use in the Upper Atmosphere will evaluate the ability of several dosimeters to operate continuously and successfully during the entirety of a suborbital rocket-powered flight. Researchers will study whether the vibration during the cruise phase of the flight degrades the dosimeters’ recorded signal quality and obtain ionizing radiation data for use in validating results from atmospheric radiation environment computer models.

Summary of September 18, 2025 Flight Test
The flight test of the Space Tissue Equivalent Dosimeter (SpaceTED) dosimeter aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital rocket demonstrated that this instrument is able to provide flight dosimetry for space tourism missions. While the New Shepard passed (twice) through the Regener-Pfotzer Maximum where the absorbed dose rate from cosmic radiation in the atmosphere is most intense, the very short duration of these flights translates to an extremely low radiation exposure to any passengers on the mission.

The Suborbital Flight Demonstration of Ionizing Radiation Dosimeters for Use in the Upper Atmosphere project aims to help researchers test various dosimeters to determine if they can operate continuously and successfully during an entire suborbital rocket flight. The effort will study whether vibration during the cruise phase degrades the dosimeters’ recorded signal quality. The flight will also enable collection of ionizing radiation data for use in validating results from atmospheric radiation environment computer models. This has the potential to benefit NASA missions, the commercial space industry, and other government agencies.

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