FY18-C2 GRC: SiC Charged Particle Telescope

The Report of the Assessment Committee for the National Space Weather Program (FCMR24-2006) specifically calls out the need for using micro-satellites as “cost-effective science and operational data sources for space weather application.” They provide Recommendation 3.5.1 “The cooperating agencies in the NSWP should investigate immediately the feasibility of using micro-satellites with miniaturized sensors to provide cost-effective science and operational data sources for space weather applications.” Further, they detail several deficiencies with current space weather monitoring assets and efforts. The committee recommended that “particular promise for carrying affordable space weather instrumentation is the new class of ‘micro-satellites.’” The report issued Recommendation 3.5.1 “The cooperating agencies in the NSWP should investigate immediately the feasibility of using micro-satellites with miniaturized sensors to provide cost-effective science and operational data sources for space weather applications.” Additionally, the committee also called out the need for the development of miniaturized sensors for space weather monitoring. Further, Recommendation 3.6.1 states that: “Microsatellites and other small missions should be seriously pursued as an option for providing continuity of critical space weather data from observations at L1.” We believe that raising the TRL of our SiC charged particle telescope will provide a critical instrument to acquiring reliable information for space weather monitoring. The goal of this effort is to develop a low noise, compact solid-state charged particle telescope.

The proposed technology would utilize radiation-tolerant, thermally stable, low-noise wide band gap (WBG) silicon carbide (SiC) instead of silicon as a solid-state detector. This allows high thermal stability and low noise operation, making them ideally suitable to a nano-satellite platform. The technology leverages unique GRC expertise in SiC instrumentation for harsh environments, and GRC holds several patents on related WBG detector technology. Near-Term Benefits (5 to 10 years): The possible deployment of a space weather monitoring instrument on small platforms such as CubeSats for science or safety missions. Far-Term Benefits (10 to 20 years): Integration of the technology into a compact full field ion detector system on small satellite or other platforms to enable simultaneous 4π (spherical) measurements of the space radiation environment.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 2) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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