NASA astronaut Katherine Megan McArthur aboard the ISS. Highlighted in a red circle is our MiniPIX TimePIX Radiation Monitoring Camera, a key tool designed to safeguard both the astronauts and the sensitive electronic and computer systems onboard.

SPACE WEATHER MONITORING

Space

Charged particles from solar flares and coronal ejections can harm astronauts‘ health or induce damaging electrical currents in the spacecraft‘s sensitive electronics. Our miniaturized low-power consumption radiation cameras can help to prevent this damage, as they can track every particle and determine its type, energy, and angle of incidence.

High-energy particles, primarily protons or cosmic rays, can penetrate spacecraft and pose significant health risks to astronauts. Similarly, space weather phenomena can adversely affect the electronics of satellites or space stations.

For these reasons, Space agencies, including NASA and ESA, and our commercial customers have integrated Timepix-based radiation monitors into their spacecraft, probes, and satellites.

Furthermore, by identifying each particle’s type, our cameras provide space weather forecasting. The Sun’s lighter and less harmful particles arrive on Earth up to 30 minutes ahead of the heavier, more dangerous ones, providing a valuable window for protective measures to be activated, including shutting down critical onboard systems as required.

Our data-processing software, TraX Engine, was developed in cooperation with ESA to identify the properties of each particle. Possessing the capability to determine the direction of incoming radiation, our detectors play a pivotal role in optimizing protective shielding. Particularly useful when only one side of a vessel can be shielded, they allow for timely adjustments to incoming threats.

Our detectors, with its low power consumption of only roughly 2 watts and weight in the order of tens of grams, are ideally suited for integration for the demanding requirements of the space industry.

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*The largest object ever measured by the Timepix radiation detector was the Earth i.e. its Low Orbit at the altitude of roughly 500 km.*

AdvaSpace introduces a previously unseen technology for predicting cosmic weather. This technology provides timely warnings against increased solar activity, which can pose risks to the health of astronauts and disrupt the functionality of sensitive onboard electronics in satellites and spacecraft. Now, AdvaSpace powered by ADVACAM’s Timepix-based technology is bringing a new ambitious dimension on how to use their detectors: aiming to predict so-called cosmic weather and introducing NEW LEVELS of its monitoring.

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*Quantum imaging detection and track visualization of space radiation in LEO orbit/500 km by the Timepix detector delivered by ADVACAM onboard the Cubesat VZLUSAT-2.*

*Track of Carbon Ion recorded by our sensor: In yellow is displayed the trajectory of the ion itself, in green are visible recoiled (delta) electrons.*

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Applications

The following list summarizes selected space missions and applications realized using Timepix-based radiation detectors developed by ADVACAM. These flight-proven technologies and heritage missions now form the technological foundation that AdvaSpace further utilizes, adapts, and develops for its own space radiation monitoring products, satellite components, and downstream space-weather services.