Polish company Blue Dot Solutions has begun a contract on using a space radiation sensor for down-to-Earth and very timely purposes.
Over the last few years, many regions around the world have experienced a rising number of GPS/GNSS interferences. Since late 2022, these interferences have been common across eastern EU borders. Most of these interferences come from specialized military jammers; however, the use of small (and illegal) commercial jamming devices is also on the rise.
The impact of these interferences may be very wide. Apart from the limited capability to calculate position, GPS/GNSS interferences also impact access to time. When these services are not available, mobile or remote devices may stop operating. This is a serious problem for various civilian systems, for example, those related to railway or road infrastructure.
The PLUTONIC (1Pr demoduLator continuoUs synchronisaTiOn aNd resilienCe) is a device being developed since 2023 by Blue Dot Solutions. The primary goal of PLUTONIC is to access time from a reliable source, which is the 1st Polish Radio at 225 kHz. As of September 2024, PLUTONIC is at TRL 5. It is a non-space technology for non-space applications.
The European Space Agency (ESA) selected PLUTONIC for Spark Funding in June 2024. This funding scheme provides an opportunity to test technology originally designed for space applications in a non-space environment. Blue Dot Solutions has identified an interesting example of a radiation sensor (dosimeter), originally designed for small satellites. This dosimeter has the potential to be used in non-space applications due to its small physical dimensions and wide range of operations.
PLUTONIC and a dosimeter form a perfect match for numerous applications. First of all, radioactive materials are often used in several industrial applications, such as construction and medicine. These industries require high safety standards, which are achieved by additional monitoring devices. Secondly, any accidental or intentional radiation release requires identification and tracking. This is where PLUTONIC with a dosimeter would be the solution.
In the future, there will be numerous IoT or mobile devices that would require timing services but would not be able to receive them from GPS/GNSS or cellular networks.
In late 2024, the new PLUTONIC device will be ready for distributed testing. The initial plan is to provide devices to interested potential customers and the Polish radio-amateur community. These tests, scheduled to last for four months, aim to demonstrate the practical use of PLUTONIC devices with dosimeters. At the end of the Spark Funding project, in May 2025, the PLUTONIC device will reach TRL 7.
Blue Dot Solutions is a downstream space sector company that specializes in EO and GNSS solutions. The company has conducted several ESA and Horizon projects for niches such as transportation, urban mobility, agriculture, and civilian safety.