Fast Neutron Dosimeter for the Space Environment

Model calculations and risk assessment estimates indicate that secondary neutrons, with energies ranging between 0.5 to >150 MeV, make a significant contribution to the total absorbed dose received by space crews during long duration space missions [1-3]. Advanced scintillation materials, which exhibit radiation type and mass dependent emission times, coupled to SSPM detectors, provide the optimum volume to payload performance and the ability to easily discriminate between the fraction of dose, which results from secondary neutrons, and that which results from exposure to energetic charged particles and background gamma-rays. The Phase-1 effort successfully characterized the critical components of the proposed dosimeter, specifically, the response of the scintillation material to irradiation by gamma-rays, protons, and neutrons, as well as the performance of the SSPM detector. The Phase-1 modeling studies provide a critical foundation for assessing the anticipated signals in the space radiation environment. The proposed dosimeter would overcome many of the limitations in the current generation of neutron dosimeters, and would provide baseline information on the physics, needed with the information from biological studies, to assess risk in future human-space-exploration missions to the moon and Mars.

. Governmental and private sector space agencies across the globe will have similar needs for dosimeter devices. . International airlines, especially those investigating space tourism, such as Space X. . The commercial satellite market is a large and growing market that will be interested in monitoring space radiation. . Earth bound or terrestrial markets, including hospitals, national laboratories and industrial research, is the largest potential segment. This market does require some changes in the product design.

The primary target market for the fast-neutron dosimeter is NASA missions. Key missions are NASA missions that involve extended space-time, such as possible Moon and Mars missions.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — 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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