The Small Mixed Field Autonomous Radiation Tracker (SMART) Dosimeter

Active dosimeters for astronauts and space weather monitors are critical tools for mitigating radiation induced health issues or system failure on capital equipment. Commercial spaceflight, deep space flight, and satellites require smarter, smaller, and lower power dosimeters. There are a number of instruments with flight heritage, yet as identified in NASA's roadmaps, this technology does not lend itself to a viable solution for active dosimetry for an astronaut, particularly for deep space missions. The proposed solution is an instrument that will provide dose distinguished by the type of particle, where tissue or physical damage is dependent on the energy and mass of the radiation. This is accomplished by advancing technologies developed by RMD and COSMIAC that will provide a comprehensive assessment of the radiation environment, as the instrument determines the dose for different particle species. Using RMD's advanced scintillation materials, low-power digitizers, and COSMIAC's digital signal processing, a compact dosimeter will be developed for intravehicular and extravehicular activates, as well as a space weather monitor for satellites. More »