CubeSat concept to verify the Outer Space Treaty with cosmic protons
A Nature paper proposes a physics-based method to verify OST compliance by monitoring neutrons produced by GeV protons in the inner Van Allen belts. The study suggests a 9U‑CubeSat detector could identify a thermonuclear device on a suspect satellite from about 4 km away with roughly a week of observation, offering a conceptual pathway for in‑space verification of nuclear weapons bans. The work is theoretical, grounded in simulations and open code, and is intended to spur further research rather than immediate deployment.