SiPM development for space-borne and ground detectors: From Lazio-Sirad and Mini-EUSO to Lanfos

Abstract We describe some applications of SiPMs developed for space-borne detectors to be employed in astroparticle physics research. SiPMs were first installed in space in 2005 on board of the International Space Station (ISS) in the Lazio-Sirad experiment. In Lazio-Sirad the SiPMs have been used as sensors of a small calorimeter to measure radiation environment in space and assess the effectiveness of shielding for astronauts. More recently, a 64 pixel array of SiPMs was used in Mini-EUSO, an UV telescope to study UV terrestrial emissions. Mini-EUSO was launched in Summer 2019 on board the ISS and is observing the Earth from a nadir facing window in the Russian section of the station. The detector technology and readout electronics developed in these contexts can also be employed in ground-based applications, both in research and in technological transfer implementations. As an example, we also discuss the application of SiPM detectors developed for EUSO detectors in the development of Lanfos, a detector to assess the amount of Cesium in food produced in the regions affected by the 2011 Fukushima power plant accident.