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Radiation Hazards and Countermeasures for Human Space Flight

The protection of astronauts from the hazards of ionizing radiation in space is a moral and legal obligation of NASA. If there are to be manned deep-space missions, means must be found to provide this protection. There are two parts to providing this protection: understanding the effects of space radiation on humans so that radiation exposure limits can be established; and developing countermeasures so that exposures can be kept below these limits. This talk will cover both parts of this problem.

Adams, James

An overview of medical-biological radiation hazards in earth orbits

The radiation exposure of crew members on space missions in LEO and GEO is evaluated in a general review. The radiation environment is characterized, taking the trapped radiation belts, solar flares, Galactic and solar cosmic rays, and secondary radiation into account and emphasizing the increased dosages produced by transient phenomena such as solar flares. The biological effects of space radiation in the individual cells, on the body as a whole, and on critical organs are summarized, and the exposure limits and shielding specifications (for spacecraft and for EVA suits) currently used by US mission planners are reviewed. For GEO, 4-g/sq cm Al-equivalent shielding is considered adequate under normal conditions, making EVA in this volatile environment questionable; for anomalously large solar flares, emergency shelter within 10-g/sq cm walls or the capability to retreat to a lower orbit is necessary.

Stauber, M. C.

Natural radiation hazards on the manned Mars mission

The hazards of the natural radiation environment (cosmic rays and solar energetic particles) on a manned mission to Mars are considered. These hazards are addressed in three different settings: the flight to Mars where the astronauts are shielded only by the spacecraft; on the surface of Mars under an atmosphere of about 10 g/sq cm carbon dioxide; and under the surface of Mars where additional shielding would result.

Letaw, John R.

Radiation Hazard Detector

NASA technology has made commercially available a new, inexpensive, conveniently-carried device for protection, of people exposed to potentially dangerous levels of microwave radiation. Microwaves are radio emissions of extremely high frequency. They can be hazardous but the degree of hazard is not yet well understood. Generally, it is believed that low intensity radiation of short duration is not harmful but that exposure to high levels can induce deep internal burns, affecting the circulatory and nervous systems, and particularly the eyes. The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established an allowable safe threshold of exposure. However, people working near high intensity sources of microwave energy-for example, radar antennas and television transmitters-may be unknowingly exposed to radiation levels beyond the safe limit. This poses not only a personal safety problem but also a problem for employers in terms of productivity loss, workman's compensation claims and possible liability litigation. Earlier-developed monitoring devices which warn personnel of dangerous radiation levels have their shortcomings. They can be cumbersome and awkward to use while working. They also require continual visual monitoring to determine if a person is in a dangerous area of radiation, and they are relatively expensive, another deterrent to their widespread adoption. In response to the need for a cheaper and more effective warning system, Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed, under NASA auspices, a new, battery-powered Microwave Radiation Hazard Detector. To bring the product to the commercial market, California Institute Research Foundation, the patent holder, granted an exclusive license to Cicoil Corporation, Chatsworth, California, an electronic components manufacturer.

Source record

Protection Against Radiation Hazards in Space, Book I Proceedings of the Symposium at Gatlinburg, Tenn., Nov. 5-7, 1962

BOOK 1: Radiation Environment in Space Effects of Space Radiation on Radiosensitive Objects Biological Effects of Space Radiation BOOK 2 : Shielding Against Space Radiations The realization in recent years that outer space is traversed by high-energy radiations has caused man to reevaluate the feasibility of manned or even instrumented exploration outside our atmosphere. Fortunately, it is possible to determine the nature and intensities of these radiations and to produce similar radiations on earth by means of accelerators. Thus we can learn how to attenuate them and to design capsules which afford protection against them. Of course this protection carries a weight penalty so that there is a premium on optimizing the shield design. Many groups in the United States are engaged in research to this end, and it was the purpose of this symposium to bring these groups together so that they could exchange information. To make the meeting more comprehensive, sessions on the nature of the radiations and their effects on people and things were included. However, the major part of the meeting was devoted to discussions on shielding research, comprising theoretical calculations and experiments carried out mainly with high-energy accelerators. The symposium committee feels that the aims of the symposium were met and that progress in space research program was greatly accelerated thereby.

RADIATION SHIELDING

Space Radiation Hazards and Countermeasures: 1990-2004

Contents include the folowing: radiation environments, tools and techniques for measuring radiation dosage, effects of radiation on humans and animal models, methods for strengthening biological resistance to radiation, and radiation shielding.

Source record

Radiation Hazards and Countermeasures for Human Space Flight

Protection of the astronauts from space radiation is NASA's moral and legal responsibility. There can be no manned deep space missions without adequate protection from the ionizing radiation in space. There are tow parts to radiation protection, determining the effects of space radiation on humans so that adequate exposure limits can be set and providing radiation protection that insures those limits will not be exceeded. This talk will review the status of work on these two parts and identify areas that are currently being investigated and gaps in the research that have been identified.

Adams, James H., Jr.

Pocket-size microwave radiation hazard detector

Inexpensive lightweight unit is easily carried in coat pocket or attached to belt, detector sounds alarm in presence of dangerous microwave radiation levels. Unit consists of antenna, detector, level sensor, keyed oscillator, and speaker. Antenna may be single equiangular spiral or set of orthogonal slot dipoles. Signal detector is simple diode in small package.

Kolbly, R. B.

Radiation hazards in low earth orbit, polar orbit, geosynchronous orbit, and deep space

The predicted doses to the blood forming organs and skin of spacecraft crews in low inclination at high inclination and polar orbits, in LEO and in free space are reviewed. Doses from trapped solar radiation and galactic cosmic radiation are covered, and also those to be expected from anomalous, large solar particle events. They are compared with the maximum annual and career doses laid down by the National Council on Radiation protection (1987). The effect of spacecraft and space suit shielding is also considered. Space Shuttle flights have allowed extensive comparison of predicted doses with those measured experimentally. This has revealed some defects in the radiation and magnetic fields models used and has led to extensive reexamination of these models.

Mccormack, Percival D.