SmallSat Gamma Ray Detector Pulse Shape Discrimination

Completed TRL 3 (started at 3, targeting 4)

Description

Develop flight-worthy electronics that can perform pulse shape analysis to distinguish forward- versus backward-incident photons and veto background events for a phoswich scintillator and silicon photomultiplier detector combination.

Benefits

Detector combination is compact to fit within volume and mass constraints of CubeSats and SmallSats. Increase sensitivity by rejecting background photos from spacecraft scattering and transparency to high energy photons. Allowing SmallSats to achieve science goals currently done by full-scale mission.

Details

Technology area	Sensors and Instruments > Remote Sensing Instruments and Sensors > Electronics
Program	Center Independent Research & Development: MSFC IRAD (MSFC IRAD)
Lead organization	Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
Start date	2020-03-01
End date	2021-03-31

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

Chiumun M Hui — c.m.hui@nasa.gov
Chiumun M Hui — c.m.hui@nasa.gov
Brian F Gibson — brian.f.gibson@nasa.gov
Garrick W Merrill — garrick.merrill@nasa.gov
Jeffrey A Apple — jeff.apple@nasa.gov
Miguel A Rodriguez — miguel.a.rodriguez-1@nasa.gov
Peter A Jenke — peter.a.jenke@nasa.gov

How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — 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.

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.