[Background]: Vanadium oxide (VOx) detector plays a crucial role in the fields of space infrared detection and imaging due to their sensitivity to infrared radiation

particularly in the Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) band

coupled with their advantages of high sensitivity

low noise

uncooled operation

and cost-effectiveness. However

performance degradation caused by space ionizing radiation

particularly the decrease in responsivity and the increase in noise levels

poses a significant threat to the imaging quality and reliability of these detectors. [Purpose]: To bridge the current gap in research on the space radiation effects on VOx detectors and provide input for their radiation hardening

[Methods]: Ground-based radiation simulation experiments were conducted to analyze the radiation damage to VOx detectors. Both online and offline testing methods were employed to systematically investigate the changes in detector output under varying radiation doses. Additionally

post-irradiation annealing tests were performed to examine the specific patterns of performance degradation in VOx detectors under space radiation environments. [Results]: The results indicate that space radiation significantly affects the output performance of VOx detectors. When the accumulated dose reaches 31 krad(Si)

the non-uniformity of the detector's blackbody temperature response and the number of dead pixels surge. At 39 krad(Si)

the non-uniformity of the blackbody response escalates to 88%

the dead pixel rate climbs to 66%

and the output image becomes aberrant. Within 24 hours after the irradiation test

the annealing effect of the VOx infrared array detector is evident

with the average grayscale value of the blackbody response output closely aligning with the pre-irradiation results after 72 hours of annealing

and the number of dead pixels tending towards zero after one week of annealing. [Conclusions]: Space radiation significantly impacts the output of VOx detectors

with the detector's output performance declining as the radiation dose accumulates

reaching a point where the device cannot recognize objects in images at 24 krad(Si). The total ionizing dose effect at lower accumulated dose values does not constitute permanent damage

as the detector's performance can be restored through room-temperature annealing. This study provides valuable insights for the subsequent design of radiation-hardened VOx detectors for space applications.