Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2021 - 47

exist on the Moon will be key to establishing
a sustainable human presence
on Earth's nearest neighbor as well as
traveling to Mars. The data brought
back by Tiger Eye 1 will further the
SpaRTAN lab's research on improved
radiation shielding in both materials
and design.
The two main barriers for human
spaceflight are propulsion (how to get
there faster) and how to protect hu -
mans and equipment from radiation.
Without the shielding and radiation
modeling LSU is helping to develop,
the radiation effects on crews and
equipment during deep space exploration
would be catastrophic. The radiation
data obtained on IM-1 could
change the equation of what's possible
in space. Commercial off-the-shelf technology
could be used to lessen the
dependency on expensive, overdesigned
solutions.
LSU's Tiger Eye 1 mission was en -
abled in partnership with Geocent, a
New Orleans-based company that provides
solutions for the space, defense,
and homeland security communities.
Geocent chose LSU as a research and
development partner to test some of
their radiation shielding, which led to
an opportunity to share physical space
onboard IM-1.
The LSU radiation detection device
is currently being customized. The
physical device casing will occupy a
space about the size of an iPhone 12.
The challenge is working within strict
limitations on mass, volume, power,
bandwidth, and time as well as communicating
with and controlling devices
from Earth.
LSU is working with ADVACAM, a
company based in the Czech Republic,
on adapting radiation detection hardware
(similar to a USB flash drive) that it
has previously supplied for the Inter -
national Space Station (ISS). But while
you can bring laptops and off-the-shelf
equipment to ISS to help integrate and
connect such devices, that isn't possible
on IM-1. Much of the work on Tiger Eye
1 lies in software development and coding
(and possibly some wiring and soldering)
to make sure the data from the
sensor " makes sense " to the device,
which must be able to communicate with
the main Intuitive Machines flight computer
to receive time stamps, temperature
readings, and other critical data.
Data will be collected by ADVACAM
MiniPIX TPX3 miniature cameras re -
Tech Briefs, October 2021
Cov
ToC
cording traces of individual particles of
space radiation. The detectors have
undergone NASA's highly rigorous certification
process for use in extreme space
conditions; however, they will face a new
challenge. They will not fly inside a
spaceship like on the ISS but will be
located on the module's external arm,
where they will be exposed to huge temperature
cycles with fast transitions from
shade to direct sunlight. Temperature
differences will be more than 100 °C.
The detector has to be robust but re -
main sensitive at the same time.
The LSU team is setting up a Tiger
Eye 1 ground control center on the
main campus and hopes to be able to
receive raw data as well as issue commands
to the device while it is traveling
through space and on the lunar surface.
If the team is no longer able to
communicate with the device, it will
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Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2021

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