Multi-Purpose X-ray System

Stellarray proposes the development of a highly novel Multi-Purpose X-ray Source and System (MPXS), for use on flight missions, space stations, planetary excursions and planetary or asteroid bases, to meet nearly all NASA imaging needs as detailed in the Exploration Medical Condition List (EMCL). This proposal goes far beyond an incremental increase in imaging capability and offers a path towards providing the full range of radiographic imaging - 2D, digital tomosynthesis and even half (180?) or full (360?) computed tomography (CT) ? to cover routine and emergency imaging needs in space mission environments. The source is comprised of sections, each designed for a specific range of x-ray imaging or analysis functions. In the starting design, each section is close to one of the sidewalls of the source, which is shaped as a rectangular box and made primarily of aluminum nitride ceramic (AlN) sheets. Each AlN sidewall has a window that allows the x-ray flux to exit the source. The window can be a hollowed out section of the sidewall or a thin strip of low Z material (glass, BeO, etc) fritted, fused or brazed into or over a window aperture in the sidewall. Thin strips of metal can be placed over the windows for beam filtration. Each window will output flux from one or more rows of spots (x-ray pixels, or xels) on the metal anode inside. Systems comprise one or more of these sources and flat panel x-ray detectors, with several system modes configurable using the same source and detector.