Radiation Exposure and Mission Strategies for Interplanetary Manned Mission
Radiation Hazard and Space Weather Warning System
WP 5000
Final Version: 14 December 2004
Compiled by
Claire Foullon1, Andrew Holmes-Siedle2, Norma Bock Crosby1, Daniel Heynderickx1
1 Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy Ringlaan-3-Avenue Circulaire 1180 Brussels, Belgium
2 REM OXFORD Ltd. 64A Acre End St. Eynsham, Oxford OX29 4PD, England
INTRODUCTION
Radiation protection is a prime issue for space station operations, for extended missions to planets in our solar system (e.g. Mars), or for a return visit to the Moon. The radiation environment encountered by solar system missions mainly consists of the following components:
1. Trapped radiation in the Earth’s Van Allen Belts and in the magnetosphere of Jupiter 2. Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) background radiation 3. Solar Energetic Particle Events – Solar Proton Events (SPEs)
Along with the continuous GCR background, SPEs constitute the main hazard for interplanetary missions. Up to now, prediction of SPE events is not possible. Future interplanetary manned missions will need to consider solar activity (e.g. solar flares, coronal mass ejections, …) very carefully due to the obvious detrimental effects of radiation on humans. Very high doses during the transit phase of a mission can result in radiation sickness or even death. This is equally true for extended visits to surfaces of other planets (for example to Mars) and moons lacking a strong magnetic field capable of deflecting solar particles. The risk of developing cancer several years after a mission is somewhat more difficult to quantify, but must also be considered in mission planning. Adequate radiation protection measures must be conceived for any lengthy interplanetary endeavours. There are two ways to go about this and both approaches (1. Engineering, 2. Space Weather Forecasting) complement each other:
1. Engineering Approach