Speaker
Description
This presentation will provide an overview of the Scalable Radiation Monitors for Advancing Space Exploration (RadMon-on-ISS) experiment, which will be deployed onboard the European Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the first Polish technological and scientific mission – IGNIS, under the Ax-4 commercial crew mission, with Polish project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski.
The RadMon-on-ISS experiment introduces a compact, low-power (20 × 20 × 5 cm, 1.5 kg), cost-effective autonomous instrument developed by SigmaLabs Sp. z o.o., called the Scalable Radiation Monitor (SRM). This device is capable of measuring Total Ionising Dose (TID) and high-energy hadron fluence and flux (above 20 MeV). Designed for autonomous operation, the monitor begins data collection automatically upon power-up, storing measurements in onboard flash memory. Data can be retrieved via the wired MPCC network in the Columbus module or through a USB interface, where the device appears as a standard mass storage device. A flexible mounting bracket allows directional orientation of the sensing aperture.
The instrument was developed under an aggressive timeline and in full compliance with ESA’s stringent safety and cybersecurity requirements. As a radiation detector, it builds on the proven RadMon technology, previously deployed and validated in large-scale use at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. On the ISS, the monitor will be installed in location A4 of the Columbus module, adjacent to one of the probes of the DOSIS 3D experiment (DLR), enabling valuable comparative analysis of radiation data.
A key motivation of the RadMon-on-ISS experiment is to demonstrate enabling technologies for next-generation radiation-aware autonomy. When integrated with high-performance yet radiation-sensitive systems, RadMon-type monitors can play a critical role in supervising and triggering adaptive behaviour based on real-time radiation exposure. The ISS deployment serves as a crucial calibration step, supporting future applications in exploration and deep space environments where resilience and adaptability are essential.
The instrument will operate onboard the ISS for at least six months, with a likely extension. The development team was led by Dr Krzysztof Sielewicz.
We invite discussion on autonomous radiation-aware systems, deployment of modular monitors on crewed platforms, and lessons learned from rapid integration cycles in ESA methodology-led projects.
