Automated Radiation Measurements for Aerospace Safety - Dual Monitor (ARMAS-DM)

The funding for the ARMAS DM Phase II-E work is applied toward the “dual” aspect of the ARMAS Dual Monitor project. The Phase II project will fly a stratospheric balloon for 30 days in July 2022 measuring the secondary radiation environment relevant to aviation. In this work we will finish the integration and data collection of instruments above the atmosphere measuring the primary radiation environment. This includes the ARMAS FM9 in the ARMAS ISS instrument being deployed to the International Space Station in December 2021 to measure total ionizing dose (TID) and LET spectra in 2022. It also includes incorporating existing cubesat measurements of TID into a SQL database from our ARMAS FM8 instrument now in orbit at 477 km. Finally, we will measure the lower stratospheric radiation environment above the northern CONUS air traffic corridor with a drone system flying near the stratospheric balloon in a technology pathway demonstration for 24/7/365 monitoring. This projects's technology demonstration has an enhanced science component. In particular, with the Phase II-E funding, we will provide an ability to integrate multiple global radiation data streams into SQL databases and storage the information for providing a retrieval capability to conduct data analysis in full top-to-bottom columns near the same time for capturing all the components of a radiation sequence of events. This project will also provide global dose data for RADIAN data assimilative modeling that provides radiation weather rather than climatology. Finally, this project will provide a reference data set of primary particles at the same time and latitude/longitude columns, from the the top-of-the-atmosphere to the troposphere, for further scientific investigation.

This proposal helps NASA i) solve important space-related problems; ii) radically improve existing capabilities; and iii) deliver new space capabilities. Our work provides the baseline for radiation exposure to humans from the surface to Low Earth Orbit. Beneficiaries will include air/space traffic management who require future predictive capabilities only possible with physics-based, data assimilative systems. NASA can use our capabilities to manage radiation hazards for travel through the troposphere and stratosphere to LEO space.

SET has concluded a MOU with the Korean Space Weather Center to provide aviation radiation data for serving Korean commercial aviation. SET and WVE have signed a MOU for SET to provide radiation instruments for all WVE balloon flights for two years. There are two dozen commercial purchases of SET's radiation instruments over the past 6 years, including by Virgin Galactic, Dept of Energy, and NASA.

This is a mature technology (TRL 9) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.