SPACEMON: Space Environment Monitoring Workshop 2025
The ESA Space Environments and Effects section (TEC-EPS), the Space Safety Programme (S2P) and the Space Environments and Effects Network of Technical Competences (SEENoTC) would like to invite you to the Space Environment Monitoring Workshop to be held on 11th-13th June 2025.
This workshop is free but participation must be requested and approved.
The purpose of this workshop is to present and discuss the current research and developments in the areas of space radiation, plasma, electromagnetic fields, dust, micro-particle and atomic species monitoring for space environment monitoring. This includes exploitation of in-flight data to feed back lessons learned into ongoing and future monitor developments.
The tentative session overview is as follows:
To keep informed within the SPACEMON community, you can register at the site below:
ESA's Distributed Space weather Sensor System (D3S) has the objective of providing data for now- and forecasting of space weather and observing space weather effects. Due to the multitude of observable and needed measurement locations, D3S is a system of systems, implemented through hosted payload missions as well as dedicated small missions. Currently 5 instrument are providing near-realtime data from hosted payload missions and many more will follow in the coming years. In addition, three dedicated missions are being implemented to launch in the coming years. The current status of the system, as well as future plans, including a mission to the radiation belts and a sub-L1 observatory, will be presented.
In the context of the ESA/M-MATISSE mission, the French Institute for Research in Astrophysics and Planetology (IRAP) has initiated the development of SPAM, a particle detector instrument to be deployed on two Mars-orbiting spacecraft. Designed to characterize both electrons and ions in the Martian environment, SPAM targets an energy range of 30 keV to 1 MeV for electrons and 30 keV to 10 MeV for ions. The SPAM instrument uses silicon detectors.
As part of the pre-phase A activities, a new modular and interoperable simulation framework was developed in 2024 by Artenum to support the design and validation of the instrument. This framework is named the SPAM Modelling Framework. This framework integrates and extends existing tools, GEANT4 via GRAS developed by ESA and MoORa, part of SpaceSuite, for primary particle interaction and energy deposition modeling; the EDGE CAD tool, also part of SpaceSuite, for defining detector geometry and material properties; and the Garfield++ library to simulate the incident particles cascade inside the detector.
The framework enables the computation of several key quantities required for the instrument's validation. First, it calculates energy deposition in both dead layer and active region of the detector. Then, it perform a two-step simulation: modeling electron-hole pair creation based on incident particle energy and detector geometry, followed by drift and collection of these charges to compute the resulting current as a function of time.
As an example of application, this modeling chain has been used to evaluate the effects of detector parameters, such as dead layer thickness and bias voltage, on the detector’s ability to discriminate particle species and energies in the Martian environment. The SPAM Modelling Framework has enabled a first-order optimization of the detector's geometry and operating conditions.
Detailed physic results, including experimental validation with a prototype detector, will be presented by IRAP at the 9th International Conference on Advancements in Nuclear Instrumentation Measurement Methods and their Applications (ANIMMA 2025) in Valencia, Spain.
Augura Space has developed the Augura Space Nowcast Platform, an open-access, research-oriented tool designed to support the space weather scientific community by providing centralized access to key space environment parameters in near-real time.
The platform consolidates publicly available data from European and international providers focusing on solar wind, interplanetary magnetic field, energetic particle fluxes, geomagnetic indices, ionospheric parameters, and solar imagery.
Its objective is to offer a complete and user-friendly demonstrator, facilitating rapid situational awareness, cross-disciplinary studies, and data exploration by broad users including researchers, students, and engineers.
The development addressed several technical challenges:
The plasma environment in the inner Earth’s magnetosphere fills a vast region between Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and varies significantly with solar and geomagnetic conditions on the time scales of minutes. Spacecraft surface charging is a serious concern for satellites at those orbits leading to anomalies of operations. Spacecraft charging is a function of the space environment characteristics, including sunlight/eclipse, solar activity, geomagnetic activity, electron and ion (energies <100keV) flux magnitude, and spectrum. Data may not be available at the location of the satellite to determine the cause of the anomaly.
Spacecraft design guidelines often rely on very limited data sets. Numerous observations of 1–100 keV electrons have been done at GEO. Conversely, there is a lack of statistical observations in this energy range readily available at MEO. A current need is to determine the risks that extreme events present to critical spacecrafts in GEO and MEO. An extreme event would then be outside the range of flight experience, but also beyond the engineering specifications currently in use. The way to obtain the estimates of the radiation environment at a given satellite orbit for such an event is to employ a physics-based model with close to realistic dynamics.
The Inner Magnetosphere Particle Transport and Acceleration model (IMPTAM) is a currently operating online tool (imptam.fmi.fi) driven by the real time solar wind (solar wind number density, dynamic pressure, and velocity) parameters, Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF), and Dst and Kp geomagnetic indices. The model provides the plasma environment (1-300 keV electron and proton differential and integral fluxes and spectra) in the near-Earth geospace covering all local times and radial distances up to 10 RE and all satellite orbits from LEO to MEO and GEO and GTO. The advantages of IMPTAM include its flexibility and module-based structure making it easy to improve the physics of particle motion in it. We present the model capabilities and results.
Ionizing radiation measurements of primary and secondary sources on small satellites is currently limited to a very small number of detector types with poor energy resolution and timing characteristics and very limited geometry. SF develops a modular system that overcomes these limitations within the technological constraints of the small satellite platform and deliver high performance scintillator detectors that can accommodate arbitrary form factor requirements and provide high-resolution, large dynamic range and fast measurements with applications for spectroscopy, dosimetry and individual event reconstructions.
The measurements of deposited energy and position of interaction are obtained from scintillators using photon counters or a SiPM/Pin diode matrix or a fet/diode combined sensor. A simple readout system and an FPGA-based ToA/ToT/PSD framework for data processing has been implemented. A multi-step method for analysis and reconstruction of the observed events from the data in FPGA is presented.
Three detectors based on the described framework will be presented, a system of panels that can provide comprehensive radiation measurements for the exposure from charged particles of an enclosed volume, a small-volume detector for charged and neutral particles and a low-power, point semiconductor detector for accumulated and current dose. All detectors are completely autonomous and deliver calibrated measurement data to the consumer device over standard serial protocols.
ASTRA-LEO (Advanced Spaceborne Telescope for Radiation Analysis in Low Earth Orbit) is a multi-particle radiation detector currently being developed by the Centre for Space Sensors and Systems (CENSSS) at the University of Oslo and integrated into the CENSSAT-1 CubeSat, scheduled for launch in 2027. The instrument is designed to detect Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs), observe Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), and support proof-of-concept measurements related to the neutron lifetime problem.
The detector consists of two identical units, each built from a matrix of LaBr₃ and CLLBC scintillators in a checkerboard layout, surrounded by EJ-248M plastic scintillators. This configuration provides sensitivity to gamma rays, thermal neutrons, and charged particles. ASTRA-LEO operates in both counting and spectroscopic modes, allowing it to handle a wide range of flux levels in Low Earth Orbit.
Geant4 simulations are being used to optimise shielding and placement, helping to reduce background signals from the CubeSat structure. Real-time SEP alerts will support space weather monitoring, while neutron and gamma-ray data will contribute to ongoing efforts to understand neutron decay and GRB phenomenology.
This talk will cover the instrument design, performance simulations, and its scientific goals, with a focus on demonstrating the viability of compact, CubeSat-based platforms for advanced space radiation studies.
We present the results from the space mission VZLUSAT-2, where our novel space dosimetry system based on the SpacePix2 chip was successfully tested in orbit. The detector system operated continuously over an extended period, demonstrating stable performance in low Earth orbit and providing valuable data on the space radiation environment. The system’s ability to distinguish between different types of radiation and deliver directional sensitivity was confirmed through in-flight data analysis.
Building on the experience and insights gained from the SpacePix2 deployment, we have developed the next-generation chip, SpacePix3, with enhanced functionality. This new version incorporates improvements in noise performance, timing resolution, and energy calibration capabilities while retaining the low power and compact footprint necessary for space missions.
At SPACEMON 2025, we will present detailed results from laboratory tests of the SpacePix3-based system, including calibration procedures, energy and angular response measurements, and comparisons with simulation and SpacePix2 flight data. These developments represent a key step toward a compact, high-resolution, and directionally sensitive dosimetry system for future space missions and long-duration flights.
HEPI is a new instrument developed to measure >300 MeV/nuc particles in a very small (‘< 1U’) package which would be suitable for a CubeSat mission as well as for hosting on larger missions. It uses the principle of Cherenkov radiation which is one of the earliest techniques used in space radiation measurements, for example the cosmic ray detector on the first UK satellite, Ariel-1. Although it has been less frequently adopted in recent years, the technique still has advantages and can offer good discrimination against the fluxes of particles at lower energies.
Measurements of particles at such high energies have been limited to date so HEPI could enable a considerable increase in the amount of data collected. It is designed primarily for measuring solar energetic particles but can also be applied to studies of radiation belts for example where such high energy particles also exist but are poorly mapped. This paper will describe the instrument requirements, design options and trade-offs, some of the simulations carried out, the approach to rejection of unwanted signals and the development of a breadboard version. Testing of HEPI with atmospheric muons and in a proton beam (up to 500 MeV) at TRIUMF in Canada will be described. Further developments will be touched on including proposals for a test flight of elements of the instrument on a CubeSat.
Since the 1960s, cosmic dust particles in the solar system have been investigated in situ using dust impact instruments on spacecraft near Earth and in planetary space. These particles, largely stemming from comets and from asteroid collisions, can occur in cometary streams or are more dispersed into the zodiacal dust cloud. Also interstellar dust moves through the solar system as the solar system moves through the local interstellar medium.
Cosmic dust particles are charged via photo ionisation and charge exchanges with the plasma environment. Sub-micrometer dust has charge-to-mass ratios large enough that their trajectories are influenced by electromagnetic forces related to the dynamic solar wind (in particular for the smallest particles down to nanometer sizes). Interstellar dust, beta-meteoroids (particles escaping the solar system due to solar radiation pressure) and nanodust trajectories therefore depend on the 22-year solar magnetic cycle. On the short term, observations with plasma wave antennas on the Wind and STEREO spacecraft showed a solar rotation frequency in the dust impact data. Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) in the solar wind were proposed as a source mechanism and a reduction in average count rate was observed during CIRs and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), although its physical mechanism is not yet understood. Closer to the Sun, Parker Solar Probe WISPR images also showed a temporal reduction in local dust during CMEs.
Since the time-variability on the long-term (solar cycle) and on the short term (solar transient events) and the dust-plasma interactions are both time and location dependent, observing the dust distributions synchronously from different vantage pointes in space are needed. The Sun-Earth Lagrange points offer an ideal "view".
Some future missions with a dust instrument in the Sun-Earth Lagrange points are already planned: (1) the Korean L4 mission concept (launch date in 2035) will be observing the West-limb of the Sun from the Lagrange point L4 and at an inclination of 14 degrees. It accommodates a dust instrument package on the ram side of the spacecraft that will include a compositional analyser, velocity grid, and a nanodust detector. At Earth distance, the Lunar Gateway is planned to be equipped with a dust package (Active Sensors for Telemetry of ExtrateRrestrial Impactors at Gateway, ASTERIA) for which a Phase AB study will be conducted, starting in 2025. Also at L1, the NASA mission IMAP (launch in 2025) will carry a dust compositional analyser, although it lacks a velocity grid.
In this talk we review the synergies between dust and heliospheric science and elaborate on the science case for dust and plasma measurements at the Sun-Earth Lagrange points. We focus in particular on the L4 mission and the Lunar Gateway dust instrument science, how these are complementary to the plasma wave antenna dust impact data, and argue for simultaneous dust measurements from the Lagrange point L3.
Electrostatic discharges (ESDs) are a known cause of satellite anomalies, particularly during disturbances in the radiation belts. While design guidelines to evaluate and mitigate ESD and electromagnetic coupling (EMC) risks have traditionally focused on large platforms, there is now a need to tailor these guidelines to the unique characteristics of smaller platforms, such as CubeSats.
This work consisted in assembling, testing and modelling the instruments of the Charging on Cubesat (CROCUS mission). The Sensing Impulses and Mitigation on CubeSat payload (CubeSIM) is designed to monitor charging events responsible for ESDs and to detect the occurrence of ESDs induced by the so-called inverted potential gradient situation with a negatively charged spacecraft and covering insulators positively charged with respect to the spacecraft frame. Additional instrumentation allows to artificially charge the spacecraft. It is composed of deployed elements biased to a positive high voltage to collect cold plasma electrons and force the spacecraft to charge even more negatively. This additional instrumentation is referred as active instrumentation in this work because it actively influences the charge of the spacecraft. It is operated during quiet periods of time in the absence of charging conditions. In the sun-synchronous Low Earth orbit (LEO) chosen for the mission, the active mode will be used in the sunlight portion of the orbit because the photoemission very significantly reduces the probability to trigger ESDs naturally. In the night sector and especially in the auroral zone, the focus will be put on the passive detection mode.
An engineering model of CubeSIM has been manufactured and mounted on a CubeSat structure equipped with electrical ground support equipment (EGSE) composed of a battery and a power board. The EGSE is completed with a set of three oscilloscope boards measuring the transient currents detected by current probes. The CubeSat mockup is mechanically maintained in the middle of an ionospheric plasma chamber with insulating wires. The system is thus electrically floating with respect to ground, which significantly adds to the representativity of the test with respect to flight conditions, especially regarding the blow-off and flash-over currents.
We will report the results of the tests performed in secondary vacuum under electron, VUV and plasma conditions. ESDs characteristics measured by the EGSE are used to update the specification of the CubeSIM payload. In addition, numerical simulations are used to predict power consumption during the active mode operations as a function of plasma conditions. They suggest that deploying antennas is more appropriate than deploying panels as initially anticipated. A description of the current status of the project, currently in phase C, will be presented.
NUSES is an innovative space mission proposed and co-ordinated by the Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) in collaboration with INFN, several academic institutions, and Thales Alenia Space Italy (TAS-I).
The project features two main scientific payloads: Ziré and Terzina.
Ziré is designed to measure the energy spectra of low-energy cosmic and gamma rays, high-energy astrophysical neutrinos, the Sun-Earth environment, space weather and Magnetosphere-Ionosphere- Lithosphere
Coupling (MILC). Terzina is a space telescope aimed at testing new observational techniques to study ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) and perform neutrino astronomy as pathfinders for future missions (e.g. POEMMA) by detecting atmospheric Cherenkov light from orbit.
A dedicated Low Energy Module (LEM) will extend the sensitive energy range down to the MeV scale for charged particles as well. To achieve its scientific goals, Ziré employs a detection system based on four primary sub-detectors, that make use of silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) to detect scintillation light emitted by particle interactions in the target material.
The research focuses on optimizing the design of these payloads through dedicated simulations to estimate the radiation environment in orbit and to support testing campaigns. These include: Total Ionizing Dose (TID), Total Non-Ionizing Dose (TNID), evaluation of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronics. The mission involves the use of thousands of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) supplied by Hamamatsu (Ziré) and the Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) (Terzina).
These devices represent a technologically innovative solution for space applications due to their ability to operate at low voltages (< 80 V), compactness and insensitivity to magnetic fields.
A key aspect is the study of the correlation between radiation induced damage and sensor performance, particularly considering power consumption constraints and increased dark current effects.
A series of static and dynamic characterization tests, along with a Total Ionizing Dose (TID) irradiation campaign using the Cobalt-60 source facility, are being planned at the ESA/ESTEC lab-oratories within the TEC-EDR division.
The aim is to evaluate the performance and radiation tolerance of three silicon photomultiplier devices (SiPM) developed by FBK selected as possible replacements for the Hamamatsu technology, which differ in size and technological design:
the NUV-HD-RH in 1×1 mm² and 3×3 mm², and the NUV-HD-MT in 6×6 mm².
The RadMap Telescope is a compact instrument designed to characterize the primary spectrum of cosmic-ray nuclei and the secondary radiation field created by their interaction with the shielding of spacecraft. Its main purpose is to precisely monitor the radiation exposure of astronauts, and it is the first instrument with a compact form factor that can measure both the charge and energy of individual nuclei with energies up to several GeV per nucleon. This capability is enabled by a tracking calorimeter made from scintillating-plastic fibers, which can record the energy-loss profile of particles in three dimensions and with nearly omnidirectional sensitivity. I present the instrument, its capabilities, and first results from operations on the International Space Station in 2023-2024.
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.
Silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) are increasingly used in space missions for the detection of near-UV, optical, and infrared light due to their compact design, low cost, low power consumption, robustness, and high photo-detection efficiency, which makes them sensitive to single photons. Although SiPMs outperform traditional photomultiplier tubes in many areas, concerns about their radiation tolerance and noise remain. In this study, we estimate the radiation effects on a satellite in sun-synchronous low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 550 km during the declining phase of solar cycle 25 (2026–2029). We characterised SiPM produced by the Foundation Bruno Kessler (FBK) using front-side illuminated technology with metal trenches (NUV-HD-MT), assessing their response to a 50 MeV proton beam and exposure to a radioactive source (strontium-90). Simulations with SPENVIS and Geant4 were used to validate the experimental results. Based on our findings, we propose a photosensor annealing strategy for space-based instruments.
Selene’s Explorer for Roughness, Regolith, Resources, Neutrons and Elements (SER3NE) is a small lunar orbiter mission led by UiO, aiming on mapping the global composition of solids and volatiles and thus the elemental abundance of the lunar surface in unprecedented spatial resolution. One of the instruments onboard is the Gamma-Ray-including-Neutrons Spectrometer GRiNS, a hybrid radiation detection instrument sensitive to gamma-rays, neutrons, and charged particles. The main objective for the GRiNS on SER3NE is elemental abundance mapping from gamma-ray spectroscopy, as well as neutron detection. Besides the abundance mapping, GRiNS also targets the space-based estimation of the neutron lifetime. To do so, GRiNS will host two detector units, one pointing nadir for mapping, one pointing zenith for detecting gravitationally bound thermal neutrons at a different time of flight in their trajectories back to the moon. Although not part of the official SER3NE mission objectives, the zenith module also allows for detecting Gamma-ray bursts in the pointing direction of the spacecraft.
The detector units consist of hybrid gamma-ray and neutron sensitive crystal scintillators packaged in a plastic scintillator based anti-coincidence shield (ACS). The crystal scintillators, a combination of LaBr3 and CLLBC, are partially wrapped in Gd foil and allow for gamma-ray detection in the range of 100keV – 8MeV with a spectral resolution of about 4% at 662keV, as well as thermal and epithermal neutrons. The ACS vetoes events caused by high energetic charged particles, improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the spectrum. However, the number of events rejected within a given integration time will indicate solar activity.
The scintillators are read out by Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) attached to application specific read-out ICs, the IDEAS IDE3380, and data handling electronics, providing a histogram of gamma-equivalent energies and count rates.
The SER3NE mission just concluded MDR with the mission and instrument requirements defined and the GRiNS instrument design proposed. A laboratory demonstrator of the GRiNS instrument with an CLLBC scintillator, SiPM arrays and IDE3380 based readout delivers promising results: demonstrating neutron and gamma-ray separation capabilities and spectral resolutions of better than 4.5% at 662keV. The details of the GRiNS instrument design, as well as an engineering model, is in planning.
Acknowledgement: The SER3NE pre-Phase-A study was financed by the ESA within the Terra Novae E3P programme.
The Norwegian Radiation Monitor (NORM) is a compact, single particle-telescope-based radiation monitor developed for measuring energetic electrons and protons in space environment. NORM has been designed as an easily adaptable space radiation monitor for satellite missions in GEO, LEO, and HEO.
The first NORM unit, flying aboard the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM), provides critical information on the space radiation environment along its three-apogee (TAP), 16-hour highly elliptical orbit (HEO). A review and an evaluation of the available NORM measurements of trapped electrons and solar proton radiation is presented. We demonstrate the inter-consistency of NORM data relative to the unit’s calibration, as well as of the derived flux products with third-party measurements. It is shown that NORM provides high-quality, high-resolution measurements of the dynamic electron fluxes within the 0.4–6 MeV energy range - as the satellite crosses the outer electron belt - and high-quality proton fluxes within the 10–90 MeV energy range during Solar Proton Events. ASBM/NORM dataset provides an invaluable asset for updating space radiation environment models and for space weather monitoring.
This work has been implemented by NORM Exploitation and Utilization System (NEXUS) project supported by the EC-DEFIS/2024/OP/0012 contract between European Commission, Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space and IDEAS-SPARC.
The Space Application of Timepix Radiation Monitor (SATRAM) was launched into space in May 2013 onboard the Proba-V satellite of the European Space Agency into a low Earth orbit (820km, Sun-synchronous) and it has been operating ever since. The SATRAM module is equipped with a Timepix chip featuring a 300 μm-thick silicon sensor divided into a 256 x 256 pixel matrix with 55 μm pixel pitch. Several new investigations have been performed. First, the behavior of noisy pixel has been studied to assess the stability and resilience of the detector to the harsh space environment. Although degradation has been observed, the data quality has not been significantly affected over the years. Furthermore, a Bayesian deconvolution method was applied to extract a proton spectrum from the SATRAM data. For this purpose, data from the South Atlantic Anomaly region were selected, and comparisons with models and other measurements were conducted. Lastly, a new convolutional neural network was designed. Unsupervised pre-training was used to improve the accuracy of the particle species identification between electrons and protons in the SATRAM data.
The 3D Energetic Electron Spectrometer (3DEES) has been designed as a compact science-class instrument that is optimised for the measurement of angle-resolved electron spectra in the energy range 0.1 - 10 MeV in the Earth’s radiation belts. However, it also allows to quantify proton fluxes in the energy range 2.5 to 50 MeV. It has been developed within a consortium including the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Redwire Space nv and UCLouvain.
On 5th December 2024, a demonstrator model of the instrument (measuring simultaneously from 6 directions) was launched on board PROBA-3 into a highly elliptical orbit: 60 530 km apogee, 600 km perigee, 59° inclination, 19.7 hours orbital period. With these orbital parameters, the satellite is covering parts of the inner belt, outer belt and mostly the border of the magnetosphere. Thus, the primary objective of the 3DEES mission is to provide an accurate characterisation of the high-energy electron population in the magnetosphere for scientific studies of their acceleration and loss processes, by measuring angle-resolved energy spectra of electrons. In addition, the mission targets to deliver Space Weather data for now- and forecasting activities.
A week after its launch, the instrument was switched on for the first time and a health test showed that all sensors are operating nominally. Later the ability of 3DEES to measure direction-resolved energy spectra was verified.
The presentation will give a brief overview of the 3DEES instrument on board PROBA-3, present primary results from the commissioning phase, and outline future plans for its first mission.
The RADiation-hard Electron Monitor (RADEM) was launched aboard the European Space Agency (ESA), JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) on April 14th, 2023. JUICE is scheduled to arrive at the Jovian system in 2031 after an eight-year cruise. RADEM is part of the JUICE platform payload, and for that reason, will be on during the entire cruise and nominal phases of the mission. To characterize the interplanetary radiation environment and the Jovian radiation belts, the instrument carries three detector heads, the Electron Detector Head, the Proton and Ion Detector Head and the Directional Detector Head, each designed to measure electrons from 300 keV to ~40 MeV, protons and ions from ~5 MeV/nucl. to ~250 MeV/nucl, and electron directional distribution from 300 keV to 2 MeV, respectively.
Since the JUICE mission launch, RADEM has observed dozens of solar energetic particle (SEP) events between 0.63 and 1 A.U. However, from the ground-calibration results we were unable to reconstruct the particle fluxes from the measurements made by the three detector heads. For this reason, we carried out a flight-calibration campaign using galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) to obtain accurate calibration coefficients of each sensor. With the results, we reconfigured the instrument to improve energy and particle discrimination.
In this presentation, we will discuss the methods used, including obtaining the GCR flux using a combination of the BON2020 model and the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer instrument, and the results. We will also show the comparison between RADEM and other instruments such as the Energetic and Relativistic Nuclei and Electron instrument aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission during the September 2024 SEP events, which validated the response functions, and the flux reconstruction methods developed.
Internal charging of large mission satellites is due to galactic cosmic rays and solar particles in the energy range above tens of MeV/n.
Long-, short-term variations of galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particle events play a relevant role in reducing the sensitivity of space missions. In particular we focus on the ESA Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and LISA-like interferometers for gravitational wave detection. Unfortunately, a full monitoring of the interplanetary medium will not be allowed by diagnostics instruments on board LISA. We illustrate the results of a space weather study for this mission carried out by using LISA Pathfinder and Solar Orbiter (EPD/HET and Metis instruments) data.
The criticality of measuring high-energy solar particles and gamma-ray bursts in situ is assessed and methods for the recovery of missing interplanetary plasma parameters (a valid approach for any other mission) is indicated to identify the passage of interplanetary structures that modulate differently the galactic cosmic-ray flux as a function of energy. We finally emphasize the important role of a small particle detector, developed within the INFN HASPIDE-Space project, able to monitor the energy spectrum and the variation of the spatial distribution of solar energetic particles during the evolution of events up to 400-600 MeV.
Energetic charged-particle environment can be monitored and spectroscopically analyzed with newly developed copper-halide thin-film scintillators. These films are synthesized of perovskite materials that exhibit strong blue luminescence even in polycrystalline form. This provides facile and low-budget production technology, structural flexibility and stability, as well as high tolerance to extreme temperatures. Their spectroscopic precision is comparable or better than the majority of commercial scintillator materials, which property is even more remarkable for energetic heavy ions. The thin-film form, as an unusual solution, has the advantages of insensitivity to background gamma-rays and the opportunity of constructing multilayer scintillation units basically following the operational concept of a phoswich detector. The radiation hardness of the copper-halide films has also been assessed with accelerated proton beams, revealing their exceptional tolerance to high radiation fields. A modular detector can be optimized for missions requiring miniaturized instruments with low-power consumption, as well as offers durable operation in hostile environments targeting space weather monitoring, solar activity and planetary exploration. Scintillation characteristics, tolerance tests and application concepts will be presented.
The miniaturized MiniPIX-Timepix3 Space radiation monitor is deployed in open space in LEO orbit onboard the OneWeb JoeySat (launched May 2023, initially at 600 km, currently at 1200 km polar orbit) to monitor and characterize the complex radiation field in the satellite environment. The pixel detector is implemented in miniaturized electronics MiniPix-Timepix3 Space (Advacam) of size 95 mm × 28 mm × 21 mm, mass ≈ 100 g (with casing) and power consumption ≈ 2 W. The MPX payload is controlled and readout by a computer board (Oledcomm) and interface to the JoeySat satellite SOCAN bus (OneWeb/Eutelsat). The detector operation and count rate were customized to achieve a quasi-continuous operation of about 1 min cadence within the limited payload maximum downlink data rate of 24 MB/day. Detailed and extensive radiation data are provided with particle counting imaging response with spectral-sensitive particle tracking along the satellite orbit with particle-type resolving power in wide range of radiation field intensity, particle energy distributions (energy loss) and directionality (wide field-of-view). Data products consist of particle fluxes and dose rates (total, partial), deposited energy distributions, linear-energy-transfer (LET) spectra and directional fluxes. Systematic detailed radiation maps are produced over extended periods. Particle-type specific and large gradients are observed in and around periods of solar/geomagnetic storm activity. Results will be presented over varying satellite orbit (600 km, transfer, 1200 km) as well as at periods of solar-geomagnetic activity.
Acknowledgements:
The Timepix3-MPX payload was procured and deployed by OneWeb contract.
The presentation will demonstrate the development of a small universal HardPix radiation detector based on the Timepix3 pixel detectors in IEAP CTU launched into space in 2023 and 2025. Requirements analysis, modular architecture design for a wide range of applications and space missions. Component selection with respect to extreme environment durability, size, power consumption, price and availability. Qualification campaign flow, practical problems and their solution during the qualification campaign. Implementation of advanced algorithms (AI) for on-board data processing.
An interesting application is the possible use of HardPix as a neutron detector for mapping the water deposits using non-invasive detection of neutrons created underground by cosmic rays and thermalized by hydrogen.
A short review of how SES has operated small environment sensors on our satellite fleet, followed by aspirations for flying additional sensors in the future - and some comments regarding the difficulties in doing this for a commercial operator. Finally, as a little light relief - some examples of how 'inadvertent sensors' - such as attitude control sensors and flight computer EDAC - can be used to give some information about the environment.
Multilayer or Z-graded radiation shielding has been proposed to reduce the weight of satellite radiation shielding in comparison to conventional aluminium shielding. Especially for CubeSats, which are mass and volume-constrained and rely on non-radiation hard commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components, multilayer shielding could enable longer mission durations and missions to higher orbits. Simulations with Geant4 show up to a 30% reduction in required shielding mass compared to conventional aluminium shielding to achieve the same total ionising dose (TID) behind an optimised two-layer shield consisting of polyethylene on top of lead.
To verify the performance of such a multilayer shield in space, a compact and low-power multilayer radiation shielding experiment is proposed. It uses RadFET total dose sensors to passively accumulate ionising dose behind different aluminium shielding thicknesses and polyethylene-lead multilayer shielding configurations.
The readout is done by pushing 10 or 17 µA into each of the RadFETs one at a time while measuring the voltage drop across the RadFET. The current source of the readout circuit must be precise and stable while the leakage current of the switching matrix must be low enough to not influence the measurement. These requirements must be maintained despite fluctuations in temperature and the radiation environment.
A prototype of the readout electronics was successfully tested under Co-60 irradiation up to 30 krad of ionising dose. A qualification model of the circuit has since been designed and assembled. The mechanical manufacturing is expected to be complete before SPACEMON 2025. A full electrical and mechanical qualification model is scheduled for proton irradiation testing in summer 2025.
The instrument is being developed as part of the RADICS collaboration between Aalto University and the University of Turku in Finland and was designed to fly on the proposed Foresail-2 CubeSat of the Finnish Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Space.
Additionally, work has started on a compact internal radiation monitor to observe the actual radiation environment that reaches the internal electronics of satellites. The plan is to measure the total ionising dose, displacement damage and flux of high LET particles using a RadFET, GaAs diode and a silicon plate detector. Feedback from the community is welcomed to help define requirements for this new instrument, inform design decisions and discuss flight opportunities.
This is an ongoing ESA PRODEX project, the overall objective of this project is a proof-of-concept that a VLF transmitter, with a magnetic loop/solenoid antenna on a LEO satellite, is capable of transmitting wave power in the Very-Low-Frequency and at an amplitude range comparable to the typically observed peak power of the naturally occurring whistler-mode waves (whistler, chorus, hiss) in the magnetosphere.
Results of recent experiments (DSX) concluded, that VLF transmitters using large electric dipole antenna may not be suitable to transmit wave energy comparable for natural signals generated in or propagating through the inner magnetosphere.
The POPRAD (Probing the Plasmasphere and the Radiation Belts) concept uses magnetic antenna to generate VLF impulses for four purposes:
• monitoring the electron density of the plasmasphere
• triggering wave particle interaction in the RB to monitor the seed and source population
• monitoring the ionosphere by ‘VLF-TEC’
• monitoring the termosphere neutral density variation by VLF amplitude attenuation
The critical point is the efficacy of the transmitter. The emitted wave power needs to be in the same rage as the those of the natural waves in the inner magnetosphere. The efficacy will be tested in a plasma chamber at ESTEC. The plasma chamber is currently at a pre-study stage. The plasma column in the chamber is planned to be a straight cylinder, the plasma dimension is ∅ 0.5m x 4m, the electron density is between 108-12/cm3 and it is planned to be embedded into a homogeneous static magnetic field of 0.2-3 kG.
These plasma parameters allow to test the efficacy of the transmitter using the similarity principle transforming the VLF range (1-10kHz) to 1-10MHz range, that allows to measure the wave power in the far field within the plasma chamber.
The plasma chamber will be able to maintain the plasma for long term, thus it can be used not only for testing instruments/sensors in plasma, but for performing environment tests of various sensors, electronic parts, materials exposing them to plasma conditions. No such capability is available in ESA member states at the moment, thus the planned plasma chamber will highly improve the environmental testing capabilities of ESA.
As humanity prepares for a return to the lunar surface, understanding and monitoring the lunar radiation environment is more important than ever. Despite the renewed focus on missions, the lunar radiation environment has only been measured a handful of times—mainly during flybys (Lunar reconnaissance orbiter and Chandrayaan-1) and lander missions (chang’E-4 Lander). These data are spatially limited and do not provide a full picture of radiation exposure at different lunar locations or during different periods in the solar cycle. A recent research and development effort by the TU Delft aims to address this gap through the use of the Lunar Zebro rover.
The Lunar Zebro is a compact, hexapod rover with C-shaped legs, designed for rugged mobility on the lunar surface. Its small form factor allows for distributed deployment in swarms, enabling the collection of radiation data across varied terrains and over longer durations. This mobility represents an advancement over stationary dosimeters by offering spatial granularity to radiation measurements.
A custom radiation payload has been designed for this platform, centered around the Floating Gate Dosimeter (FGDOS), a miniaturized, low-power radiation sensor suited for integration on small platforms. Simulations were performed using SPENVIS for space environment modeling and GEANT4 for interaction and shielding assessments. These efforts were followed by a robust experimental characterization campaign focusing on the dosimeter’s response to radiation, temperature, and operational conditions.
The dosimeter was tested at multiple radiation facilities in a variety of configurations:
These campaigns validated the sensor's performance in space-relevant environments, enabled expansion of the characterisation envelope of the FGDOS and informed system-level improvements of the Radiation Payload.
Future research will focus on enhancing the sensor’s sensitivity to better detect the low dose rates expected in the lunar environment, as reported in recent literature. Moreover, efforts are being made in collaboration with CERN to improve neutron detection capability. This enhancement could allow inference of local hydrogen concentrations, providing indirect insight into subsurface water ice content (a critical resource for future lunar exploration and ISRU strategies)
Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) are a good candidate when designing the readout for modern scintillator detectors for ionizing particles, both for space-borne and Earth-based devices, due to their lower operating voltage and power consumption. A major issue, however, is that high radiation environments may degrade SiPM performance due to defects accumulating within the silicon crystal lattice. For this study, several SiPMs were irradiated at the CHARM mixed-field facility at CERN. Two sets of SiPMs containing FBK ASD-RGB3S-P-40, ASD-RGB4S-P-40 SiPMs, and OnSemi MICROFJ-30035-TSV SiPMs were exposed to different levels of total dose, reaching up to $O(10^{12})$ 1~MeV~n-eq/cm$^2$. In each set, half of the SiPMs were continuously powered to nominal voltage while the others were kept in an off state during the irradiation. The dark current of all SiPMs was continuously monitored, and I-V curve measurements were taken at different irradiation levels to allow the determination of the SiPM breakdown voltage and its dependence on the absorbed dose. In addition, short LED pulses were used to record SiPM signal shapes throughout the irradiation to follow the signal parameters degradation. Preliminary results from the described test irradiation campaign will be presented and discussed.
Space environment is a mixed environment where ions, protons and electrons coexist, with energies from a few keV to a few hundred MeV. Most radiation monitors used to measure fluxes in the space environment are based on solid-state detectors (SSD). These instruments use the total energy deposited in a sensitive volume by a particle to identify its nature and incident energy. However, protons and electrons of different energies can deposit the same amount of energy in this volume, which makes them undifferentiable and leads to data contamination. Nevertheless, such particles do not necessarily interact with matter in the same way, which leads to different tracks. Information on the distribution of the energy deposited by a particle is accessible through the transient pulse generated in the sensitive volume.
For several years, ONERA has studied the interest and feasibility of a SSD based space radiation monitor using pulse shape analysis (PSA) methods. First, this talk gives an overview of the performances of such a monitor concerning the classification and the energy regression of space environment particles. Secondly, possible sampling methods for the acquisition of the transient pulse are detailed, and the performances of these methods are compared. So far, most of these efforts have focused on electron and proton fluxes in the scope of radiation belt monitoring. Nevertheless, recent developments have extended this approach to the identification of heavy ions, for which preliminary results will be shown.