A top priority of the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission is the “characterization of the global lunar radiation environment and its biological impacts and potential mitigation, as well as investigation of shielding capabilities and validation of other deep-space radiation mitigation strategies involving materials”. To achieve the mission objective, LRO includes investigations that will characterize the lunar radiation environment, develop a high-resolution geodetic grid of the lunar surface for selection of future landing sites, assess the resources and environments of the lunar poles, and map the surface composition. The CRaTER investigation will address the effects of ionizing energy loss in materials due to solar energetic particle events and galactic cosmic rays, specifically in silicon and in an analogue to human tissue. Our investigation focuses on understanding the linear energy transfer (LET) spectrum inside materials through direct measurement in the space radiation environment, particularly ions with energies above 10 MeV/nucleon, combined with models of radiation transport through materials. The CRaTER results will have direct application to the biological effects of the lunar radiation environment as well as the environmental effects on electronic systems. The details of the LET spectra will have direct use in evaluating Single Event Effect vulnerabilities.

Please use the links at left to explore the science involved in the CRaTER instrument.

For publications and presentations on the science behind CRaTER, please visit the Reading Room through the link on the right.