New Techniques for Fast Neutron Imaging and Spectroscopy in Space
This blog post originated in the 2017 Science Mission Directorate Technology Highlights Report (33 MB PDF). Technology Development A team of scientists and engineers at Goddard Space Flight Center is developing innovative technologies to expand the opportunities for neutron and gamma-ray detection from space on small satellite platforms. Traditional space-based detectors, such as the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, cannot detect events that occur in parts of the sky blocked by Earth. Employing detectors on small platforms like CubeSats will permit observations to be gathered throughout the entire sky. To fit on a CubeSat, however, these detectors must have reduced mass, volume, power, and cost. Large-area arrays of 6-mm SiPMs. The insert shows the flexible carrier board design, which can accommodate various numbers of SiPMs. One enabling technology includes development of large-area arrays of silicon photomultipliers (SiPM)—active detectors composed of modern scintillating materials. New scintillator materials, including both solid organic and inorganic...