MIT's Danagoulian proposes neutron-sensing satellites to detect orbital nuclear weapons
MIT's Areg Danagoulian has a new idea for catching nuclear weapons secretly placed in orbit, a big deal since current treaties don't cover this loophole.
His research, published July 8, 2026, in Nature, suggests using special satellites that can sense neutrons from radioactive stuff like uranium to help keep space safer.
Proton-induced spallation yields detectable neutrons
The tech relies on something called proton-induced spallation: basically, high-energy protons hit heavy elements in suspicious satellites and create a telltale neutron signal.
Inspector satellites fly underneath and use smart sensors to pick out these signals from all the background noise.
Early simulations show this approach could actually work, making it a promising step toward enforcing space safety as more countries head into orbit.