NASA's Artemis I mission has provided new insights into the levels of cosmic radiation astronauts may encounter near the Moon. The mission used experimental detectors made from lithium fluoride crystals aboard the Orion spacecraft to measure radiation exposure. The detectors, developed by the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, recorded radiation exposure throughout the journey. The lithium fluoride detectors work by capturing microscopic changes caused by radiation. When electrically charged particles pass through a crystal, they disrupt its internal atomic structure, creating defects known as color centers. Scientists can later illuminate the crystal with blue light, causing these altered regions to glow red. By examining that fluorescence under a microscope, researchers can identify the paths taken by individual radiation particles. The detectors were part of the MARE study conducted during Artemis I. The researchers used the data to compare radiation exposure near the Moon with findings from an earlier experiment aboard the International Space Station. They found that the radiation encountered near the Moon contains a greater contribution from high-energy particles originating elsewhere in the galaxy, resulting in a more uniform distribution of radiation doses throughout the mannequins. The researchers also identified a finding that may seem counterintuitive. Although astronauts near the Moon are exposed to more radiation than those in low Earth orbit, the difference is not necessarily as dramatic as might be assumed. The study suggests that the difference in radiation doses between the two environments is not as large as one might expect. The compact size and improved resolution of the lithium fluoride detectors make them a promising tool for studying the complex radiation environment beyond Earth. The measurements from Artemis I offer a clearer picture of how cosmic radiation behaves near the Moon and demonstrate how compact detectors could help scientists evaluate radiation exposure during future missions.