During the last quarter century significant advances in semiconductor detector technologies have enabled the creation of compact and reliable spaceflight systems and devices that have greatly extended the reach and quality of our observations for astrophysics, planetary science and heliophysics. In the case of high energy and time domain astrophysics this is particularly true of high-Z semiconductor systems that have made use of CdTe, CdZnTe (CZT) as well as high purity germanium (hpGE).

More recent advances in commercial spaceflight over the past decade have expanded opportunities for the deployment of these technologies, particularly within CubeSats (<~12 kg) and SmallSats (<500 kg), which have enabled the successful collection of targeted science data. This trend is accelerating with the recent launch of the first generation of lunar landers through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, the planned return and extended settlement of humans on the lunar surface through the Artemis and Lunar Gateway programs, and the replacement of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2030 with the Commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Destinations (CLDs) project.

I will give an overview of these parallel developments and discuss some of the future opportunities and observations that these programs will enable and introduce key areas where AI/ML promises to enhance the output and return of these systems.

Branden Allen is an Astronomer and Planetary Scientist who has spent the bulk of his career at the intersection of detector development, aerospace, and space science. His past and present activities center on the creation of multi-use space-qualified systems and key technologies to enable the observation of energetic astrophysical phenomena and the characterization of nearby bodies within our own Solar System. The ultimate aims of these efforts have been the elucidation of the formation history and evolution of our universe, our own planetary system, and to aid in the search for resources that will help promote and sustain the future expansion of human activities throughout the solar system in the years ahead.

After completing his graduate work at the University of California, Irvine, in extreme high-energy astrophysics (TeV energy scales) using ground-based particle detector arrays, he transitioned to the development of pixelated spaceflight X/γ-ray high-Z semiconductor detectors and systems at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard-Smithsonian. There he played a leading role in 2 successful high-altitude balloon campaigns as well as the conception, design and operation of a soft X-ray (0.3--10 keV) imaging spectrometer for the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission for global characterization of the composition of the target near Earth asteroid, 101955 Bennu.

He is currently leading (1) a NASA funded detector development program for the creation of the next generation of finely pixelated CdZnTe (CZT) detectors, (2) the proposed Portable Lunar Observer for Volatiles, Environment and Resources (PLOVER), an instrument package designed for flexible deployment within the framework of the NASA-led Lunar Gateway and Artemis Programs, and (3) High Resolution SmallSat Extremes Explorer (HSEE) a small-mission explorer (SMEX) concept for time-domain astrophysics that is being prepared for submission to NASA.