Active Solid State Dosimetry for Lunar EVA. J.D. Wrbanek,1 G.F. Fralick,1 S.Y. Wrbanek1 and L.Y. Chen2 1NASA Glenn Research Center, Instrumentation & Controls Division, Cleveland, Ohio. 2Ohio Aerospace Institute, Brook Park, Ohio.
Introduction: The primary threat to astronauts
from space radiation is high-energy charged particles, such as electrons, protons, alpha and heavier particles, originating from galactic cosmic radiation (GCR), so-lar particle events (SPEs) and trapped radiation belts in Earth orbit. There is also the added threat of secon-dary neutrons generated as the space radiation interacts with atmosphere, soil and structural materials.[1]
For Lunar exploration missions, the habitats and transfer vehicles are expected to provide shielding from standard background radiation. Unfortunately, the Lunar Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suit is not expected to afford such shielding. Astronauts need to be aware of potentially hazardous conditions in their immediate area on EVA before a health and hardware risk arises. These conditions would include fluctua-tions of the local radiation field due to changes in the space radiation field and unknown variations in the local surface composition. Should undue exposure occur, knowledge of the dynamic intensity conditions during the exposure will allow more precise diagnostic assessment of the potential health risk to the exposed individual.[2]
Technology Need: An active personal dosimeter for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) EVA use is specifically recommended by NASA JSC’s Radiation Dosimetry Working Group, and the National Council on Radia-tion Protection and Measurements (NCRP) recom-mends personal radiation monitoring for real-time dose rate and integrated dose in LEO.[3] Compared to the current LEO missions, the expeditions to the Moon will place crews at a significantly increased risk of hazardous radiation exposure.
Current radiation measurement and warning sys-tems may be not adequate for the future Lunar mis-sions, and currently instruments do not exist that can make these measurements and be incorporated into the Lunar EVA suit. However, MEMS devices fabricated from silicon carbide (SiC) to conduct low-noise neu-tron and alpha particle spectrometry have recently been reported outside of the context of personal do-simetry.[4]
Development Effort: NASA GRC has been lead-ing the world in the development of SiC semiconduc-tor technology, producing SiC semiconductor surfaces of much higher quality than commercially available, as shown in figure 1. These surfaces have demonstrated advantages over standard materials for other sensor applications.[5] In other activities, NASA GRC is attempting to verify claims of nuclear energy in sono-
luminescence using thin film coated scintillation detec-tors fabricated at NASA GRC as part of the Vehicle Systems Program, shown in figure 2.[6]
NASA GRC is leveraging these efforts to investi-gate small and large area MEMS devices for sensitivity to radiation and to compare with commercial devices. If these initial results look promising as a path for the design and fabrication of a prototype solid state do-simeter, further testing would be required in conjunc-tion with other researchers in the space radiation field over the next few years. The long term objective of this effort is to provide a compact, low power active electronic dosimetry system that would not be ad-versely affected by radiation, with improved sensitivity and detection capability for real-time monitoring of Lunar EVA conditions.
Figure 1: Examples of NASA GRC SiC Fabrica-
tion: Defect free (far left) & typical (center left) SiC surfaces, and a SiC circuit (right).
Figure 2: Radiation Detector Development: NASA
GRC is attempting to verify claims of nuclear energy in sonoluminescence (left) using thin film coated scin-tillation detectors fabricated at NASA GRC (right).
References: [1] Johnson A.S., Badhwar G.D., Golightly M.J., Hardy A.C., Konradi A. and Yang T.C. (1993) NASA TM-104782. [2] R. Turner (2000) LWS Community Workshop. [3] Vetter R.J., et al. (2002) NCRP Report No. 142, 47-49. [4] Ruddy F.H., Dulloo A.R., Seidel J.G., Palmour J.W. and Singh R. (2003) Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A 505, 159–162. [5] Hunter G.W., Neudeck P.G., Xu J., Lucko D., Trunek A., Artale M., Lampard P., Androjna D., Makel D., Ward B. and Liu C.C. (2004) Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 815, 287-297. [6] Wrbanek J.D., Fralick G.C., Wrbanek S.Y. and Weiland K.E. (2005) NASA TM-2005-213419, 46-7.
Inst
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ar E
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•Th
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Thre
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Spa
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Spa
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Env
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an-m
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Sou
rces
(RTG
’s, e
tc.)
Aur
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Aus
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from
STS
-39
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rum
enta
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and
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trols
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The
Rad
iatio
n Th
reat
Spa
ce ra
diat
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can
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mag
e to
an
astro
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NA
.D
amag
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n be
sho
rt te
rm (a
cute
) and
/or l
ong
term
(chr
onic
):•
Acu
te e
ffect
s ty
pica
lly in
clud
e ra
diat
ion
burn
s an
d/or
nau
sea
(“ra
diat
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sick
ness
”)•
Chr
onic
effe
cts
incl
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cata
ract
s, s
teril
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bra
in d
amag
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and/
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n in
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trat
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Pro
gram
Pla
n fo
r Spa
ce R
adia
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Hea
lth R
esea
rch,
“N
ASA
Offi
ce o
f Life
and
Mic
rogr
avity
Sci
ence
s an
d A
pplic
atio
ns (1
998)
Spa
ce ra
diat
ion
can
also
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age
silic
on m
icro
elec
troni
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affe
ctin
g th
e ca
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den
sity
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alfu
nctio
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d fa
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.
Ast
rona
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are
Rad
iatio
n W
orke
rs!
•R
adia
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expo
sure
to p
erso
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and
equ
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ent i
s a
sign
ifica
nt
heal
th a
nd o
pera
tiona
l iss
ue.
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rum
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and
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Rad
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easu
rem
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ms
on IS
S
EV
CP
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: Ext
ra-V
ehic
ular
Cha
rged
Par
ticle
Dire
ctio
nal
Spe
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met
er (a
ctiv
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lem
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CP
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: Int
ra-V
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ular
Cha
rged
Par
ticle
Dire
ctio
nal
Spe
ctro
met
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ctiv
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lem
etry
)TE
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: Tis
sue
Equ
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ent P
ropo
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tele
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RA
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ssiv
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w P
assi
ve D
osim
eter
(T
LD’s
) (pa
ssiv
e)
ISS
from
STS
-114
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rum
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and
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Rad
iatio
n M
easu
rem
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yste
ms
on IS
S
•R
AM
/ C
PD
•TE
PC
•IV
CPD
S&
EV
CP
DS
Pict
ures
from
the
Spac
e Ra
diat
ion
Anal
ysis
Gro
upht
tp://
srag
-nt.j
sc.n
asa.
gov/
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rum
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Mis
sion
Nee
d•
Cur
rent
mon
itorin
g of
radi
atio
n co
nditi
ons
durin
g E
VA
is
lim
ited
to p
ost-m
issi
on, a
ccum
ulat
ive
info
rmat
ion
prov
ided
by
dosi
met
er b
adge
s.•
Act
ive
pers
onal
dos
imet
er fo
r Low
Ear
th O
rbit
(LE
O)
EV
A u
se is
spe
cific
ally
reco
mm
ende
d by
NA
SA
JS
C’s
Rad
iatio
n D
osim
etry
Wor
king
Gro
up (2
003)
.•
Nat
iona
l Cou
ncil
on R
adia
tion
Pro
tect
ion
and
Mea
sure
men
ts (2
002)
reco
mm
ends
per
sona
l ra
diat
ion
mon
itorin
g fo
r rea
l-tim
e do
se ra
te &
in
tegr
ated
dos
e in
LE
O.
•C
ompa
red
to th
e cu
rren
t LE
O m
issi
ons,
the
expe
ditio
ns to
the
Moo
n w
ill p
lace
cre
ws
at a
si
gnifi
cant
ly in
crea
sed
risk
of h
azar
dous
radi
atio
n ex
posu
re.
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rum
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and
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Tech
nolo
gy D
evel
opm
ent C
halle
nges
•A
stro
naut
s ne
ed to
be
awar
e of
pot
entia
lly h
azar
dous
co
nditi
ons
in th
eir i
mm
edia
te a
rea
on E
VA
bef
ore
a he
alth
and
har
dwar
e ris
k ar
ises
. •
Rea
l-tim
e fe
edba
ck o
f per
sona
l dos
imet
er in
form
atio
n re
gard
ing
astro
naut
con
ditio
ns is
cur
rent
ly n
ot
avai
labl
e.
•R
eal-t
ime
dosi
met
ers
base
d on
sili
con
elec
troni
cs
coul
d pr
ovid
e re
al-ti
me
info
rmat
ion
but s
ilico
n la
cks
the
desi
red
sens
itivi
ty a
nd is
itse
lf af
fect
ed b
y ra
diat
ion,
dec
reas
ing
the
effe
ctiv
enes
s of
this
te
chno
logy
. •
Impr
ovem
ents
in th
e ba
sic
dosi
met
er d
esig
n w
ould
pr
ovid
e a
valu
able
tool
to im
prov
e as
trona
ut s
afet
y an
d pr
ovid
e be
tter a
war
enes
s of
the
exte
rnal
situ
atio
n.
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rum
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NA
SA
GR
C In
stru
men
tatio
n &
Con
trols
Div
isio
n
•H
arsh
env
ironm
ent s
enso
rs•
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h te
mpe
ratu
re h
igh
pow
er e
lect
roni
cs•
ME
MS
& n
anot
echn
olog
y ba
sed
syst
ems
•H
igh
data
rate
opt
ical
inst
rum
enta
tion
•Ac
tive
and
inte
lligen
t con
trols
•H
ealth
mon
itorin
g an
d m
anag
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t
Thin
Film
Phy
sica
l Sen
sors
(G
.C.F
ralic
k&
J.D
.Wrb
anek
)
Con
duct
s b
asic
and
app
lied
rese
arch
on
adv
ance
d in
stru
men
tatio
n an
d co
ntro
ls te
chno
logi
es fo
r aer
ospa
ce
prop
ulsi
on a
nd p
ower
app
licat
ions
:
Opt
ical
Mic
rom
anip
ulat
ion
(S.Y
.Wrb
anek
)H
arsh
Env
ironm
ent P
acka
ging
(L
.Y.C
hen)
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rum
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Rad
iatio
n D
etec
tor D
evel
opm
ent
•C
laim
s an
d th
eorie
s ar
e be
ing
exam
ined
that
pre
dict
a n
et
gain
of p
ower
resu
lting
from
ato
mic
inte
ract
ions
at t
he h
igh
tem
pera
ture
s an
d pr
essu
res
pres
ent i
n so
nolu
min
esce
nce.
•S
onol
umin
esce
nce-
base
d po
wer
gen
erat
ion
has
been
onl
y re
cent
ly re
porte
d in
the
mai
n-st
ream
aca
dem
ic p
ress
.•
NA
SA
GR
C is
atte
mpt
ing
to v
erify
thes
e cl
aim
s us
ing
thin
fil
m c
oate
d sc
intil
latio
n de
tect
ors
fabr
icat
ed a
t NA
SA
GR
C.
MB
SL
in W
ater
(left)
Fibe
r Opt
ic
Sci
ntill
atio
n D
etec
tor
(rig
ht)
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rum
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SiC
Sem
icon
duct
or T
echn
olog
y D
evel
opm
ent
•N
AS
A G
RC
has
bee
n le
adin
g th
e w
orld
in th
e de
velo
pmen
t of S
iCse
mic
ondu
ctor
tech
nolo
gy.
•N
AS
A G
RC
pro
duce
s S
iCse
mic
ondu
ctor
sur
face
s of
m
uch
high
er q
ualit
y th
an c
omm
erci
ally
ava
ilabl
e.•
Thes
e su
rface
s ha
ve d
emon
stra
ted
adva
ntag
es o
ver
stan
dard
mat
eria
ls fo
r sen
sor a
pplic
atio
ns.
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rum
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Tech
nolo
gy D
evel
opm
ent P
lan
•Le
vera
ge s
igni
fican
t exp
erie
nce
in s
ilico
n ca
rbid
e (S
iC) t
echn
olog
y to
pro
vide
relia
ble
real
-tim
e E
VA
do
sim
etry
by
repl
acin
g th
e si
licon
with
a s
igni
fican
tly
mor
e ra
d-ha
rd S
iCse
mic
ondu
ctor
tech
nolo
gy w
ith
impr
oved
sen
sitiv
ity a
nd d
etec
tion
capa
bilit
y.
•A
pply
uni
que,
pat
ente
d N
AS
A te
chno
logy
impr
ovin
g th
e qu
ality
of S
iCse
mic
ondu
ctor
s.
•Le
vera
ge o
ngoi
ng a
ctiv
ities
of t
he N
AS
A L
ow
Em
issi
ons
Alte
rnat
ive
Pow
er (L
EA
P) p
roje
ct in
ra
diat
ion
dete
ctor
tech
nolo
gy d
evel
opm
ent.
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rum
enta
tion
and
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trols
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isio
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is F
ield
Tech
nolo
gy D
evel
opm
ent O
bjec
tives
•Th
e ta
sk w
ill fi
rst v
alid
ate
basi
c S
iCap
proa
ch u
sing
SiC
devi
ces
and
com
pare
with
sili
con
diod
es
and
com
pact
sci
ntill
atio
n de
tect
ors.
•Lo
ng-te
rm O
bjec
tive:
Pro
vide
a
wea
rabl
e, e
lect
roni
c do
sim
etry
sy
stem
whi
ch w
ould
not
be
adve
rsel
y af
fect
ed b
y ra
diat
ion
with
impr
oved
sen
sitiv
ity a
nd
dete
ctio
n ca
pabi
lity
for r
eal-t
ime
mon
itorin
g of
EV
A c
ondi
tions
.
SiC
Dev
ices
for T
estin
g
Luna
r EV
A C
once
pt
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