IRIS sensors monitor in real time the amount of ionising radiation received by astronauts during their daily activities on the International Space Station (ISS). Developed by INFN - TTLAB in collaboration with the University of Bologna, the sensors arrived at the ISS aboard the SpaceX Crew-10 spacecraft on 15 March.
“NASA considers ionising radiation in space one of the five major risks to mitigate in order to enable human exploration of the solar system. This is one of the most fascinating challenges we face and a powerful driver for stimulating scientific research and technological innovation”, says Beatrice Fraboni, Principal Investigator of the project and professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi” of the University of Bologna. "For this reason, the sensors developed by IRIS are active personal dosimeters that detect and transmit in real time the dose of radiation received by the wearer to the operations centre, on the ground or at the space base, enabling the activation of an immediate alarm in case of overexposure”.
The manufacturing techniques required by this innovative type of sensors, such as inkjet printing under environmental conditions, open up the possibility of fabricating them directly on extraterrestrial bases or during long-term space missions in the near future.
“Thanks to the use of innovative materials, such as organic semiconductors and perovskites, these sensors have been manufactured using solution-based printing processes on unconventional substrates, such as plastic or textiles, obtaining ultra-slim and flexible detectors”, confirms Fraboni. “Their volume and extremely low weight, combined with the very low power supply required, offer a further significant advantage for the missions’ payload and the space crew's safety. The crew will be able to wear them imperceptibly throughout their stay in extraterrestrial habitats, with the prospect of a future in situ monitoring of the exposure of particularly delicate organs”.
Financed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), Iris will be worn and tested by the astronauts of the ISS together with a second study, “Drain Brain 2.0” carried out with the collaboration of the University of Ferrara, to detect and monitor some important parameters of cardiovascular health in a non-invasive way.
“To enable safe and effective human space exploration, we cannot limit ourselves to mitigating the effects of radiation on astronauts, but we must expand the study to all the life-supporting tools in space, such as plants, food, and medicines”, says Professor Fraboni. “Thanks to the studies conducted so far, it has been possible to reach milestones that were unthinkable a few decades ago, but much stimulating research still awaits us if we want to make human space exploration safe”.
The research team that designed and developed the Iris project consists of Professor Beatrice Fraboni, Dr. Andrea Ciavatti, Dr. Ilaria Fratelli, and Lorenzo Margotti, PhD student, affiliated with INFN - TTLAB and the Department of Physics and Astronomy "Augusto Righi" of the University of Bologna.
