X-ray flashlight to reveal composition of Moon’s surface

The Phase 1 study, "EmberCore Flashlight: Long Distance Lunar Characterization with Intense Passive X- and Gamma-ray Source," will be led by Dr Chris Morrison, chief engineer, radioisotopes at Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC), and supported by co-investigator Dr Thomas Prettyman of the Planetary Science Institute.

The X-Ray Flashlight will utilise EmberSource which is based on the Ember nuclear chargeable ceramic USNC has been developing for ultra-high-speed propulsion in space and ‘survive-the-night’ capabilities on the lunar surface.

By integrating EmberSource into a specially designed casing, X-rays that would normally be contained by shielding are released through a controllable aperture. As those X-rays interact with the lunar surface and reflect into a sensor, providing information about the lunar surface and what lies beneath it.

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"This technology will enable characterisation of the structure and composition of the lunar surface in unprecedented detail," Dr Thomas Prettyman, senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, said in a statement. "The capabilities for standoff analyses of elemental composition and operation in darkness are potentially game-changing."