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Completed TRL 4 (started at 2, targeting 4)
The goal of this proposal is to identify, synthesize, and test a radioluminescent tritium polymer material to fulfill visibility requirements levied on space flight hardware and facilitate additional long term internal and external lighting for mission needs. The project team will work with Goddard Space Flight Center to develop and test such a polymer. In addition to lab testing, the aim is to include the tritium lights and/or polymer material samples on the Materials Exposure and Technology Innovation in Space (METIS-3) mission to observe the effects of low earth orbit. This innovation is disruptive, taking the existing tritium light technology and tailoring it for use in a new application. The end product will be a radioluminescent tritium material sample and accompanying test data/result.
Tritium or hydrogen three is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that emits beta particles as it undergoes beta decay. A beta particle is a high-energy, high-speed electron (or positron) emitted from radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus. Because it is a gas, tritium must be encapsulated in a sealed glass container. The combination of contained tritium gas and a phosphor is referred to as a gaseous tritium light source (GTLS). A GTLS provides a sustainable light source, requiring no electrical energy which on average provides light for 10 to 20 years. A radioluminescent tritium polymer capable of surviving multiple space environments could fulfill visibility requirements levied on space flight hardware and facilitate additional long term internal and external lighting needs for each mission. This innovation is disruptive, taking the existing tritium light technology and tailoring it for use in a new application.
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