Fifty-Seventh Annual Meeting Program Radiation & Flight: A Down-to-Earth Look at Risks April 19–20, 2021 Virtual Monday, April 19, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm EDT Tuesday, April 20, 10:00 am – 3:15 pm EDT Cover: Left: Buzz Aldrin walks on the Moon, where the ambient radiation is about 500 times more intense than on Earth, and where there is no atmosphere or magnetic field to protect against solar events. https://history.nasa.gov/ ap11ann/kippsphotos/apollo.html Top right: US Air Force pilots preparing to ascend to high-altitude, where they spend hundreds of hours per year receiving radiation at dose rates 10 to 100 times higher than that at sea level. https://www.airforcetimes.com Bottom right: Artist's depiction of the radiation environment on Earth, the Moon, and Mars, with cosmic rays entering from outside the heliosphere, protons emanating from the Sun, and, near Earth, trapped radiation in the Van Allen belts. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/stem-on-station/learning_launchers_radiation NCRP Mission: To support radiation protection by providing independent scientific analysis, information and recommendations that represent the consensus of leading scientists. @NCRP2021 NCRP Resource Development Committee is launching a series of efforts to increase the financial stability of NCRP. 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Introduction Radiation & Flight: A Down-to-Earth Look at Risks Fifty-Seventh Annual Meeting of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) How many people have imagined themselves as a fighter from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration pilot, traveling through the upper atmosphere at Mach 5? (NASA), Report No. 153 was developed and released in And the prospect of space travel is an idea that has fasci- 2006, Information Needed to Make Radiation Protection nated mankind for centuries. However, as these aspira- Recommendations for Space Missions Beyond Low-Earth tional goals have become a reality, there has been a Orbit; it described the data required, prior to future mis- parallel expansion in our understanding of the complex sions, that would enable the development of an adequate stressors associated with these endeavors that can have personnel radiation protection program. More recently, a detrimental effect on our ground-evolved bodies. As a and reflecting our greater biological understanding of the result, we are increasingly aware of a broad range of mechanisms underlying radiation risk, Report No. 167, potential risks from exposure to cosmic radiation and released in 2010, looked at the Potential Impact of Indi- other factors associated with aeronautical travel and that vidual Genetic Susceptibility and Previous Radiation are now seen as issues for the involved professions. Exposure on Radiation Risk for Astronauts, and a recent report, Report No. 183, completed a two-phase effort Because of the inclusion of cosmic radiation as one of the concerning the impact of space radiation on the central acknowledged stressors in flight, and our limited under- nervous system (Radiation Exposure in Space and the standing of the consequences of exposure, the National Potential for Central Nervous System Effects: Phase II). Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) has been intimately involved in furthering our Commentary No. 12 (1995) explored radiation protection understanding of the risks from flight, at high altitude and considerations associated with high-altitude flight at an beyond, for many decades. With respect to space explo- altitude of 65,000 feet (~20,000 m). It addressed a num- ration, in 1989, Report No. 98, Guidance on Radiation ber of relevant considerations, such as dose rates at dif- Received in Space Activities, was released as an update ferent altitudes and from solar flares, as well as the of the 1970 recommendations made by the National biological effects of ionizing radiation at these altitudes. Academy of Sciences. This document was itself updated Estimates of the associated radiation risks for flight in 2000 with the release of Report No. 132, Radiation Pro- crews, passengers, frequent travelers, and conventional tection Guidance for Activities in Low-Earth Orbit, which travelers were made. The Commentary concluded with focused on the excess cancer risks and other radiation comments on aspects of radiation protection philosophy effects from exposure, and introduced the possibility of and the measurements that needed to be addressed to differential risks dependent on age and sex. This report operate commercial aircraft at these altitudes. was followed quickly by Report No. 137 (2001), Fluence- Despite the large volume of publications, there are still Based and Microdosimetric Event-Based Methods for great uncertainties and gaps in our understanding of the Radiation Protection in Space, which compared method- risks from flight. Thus, NCRP is dedicating its Annual ologic approaches that might be used to determine radia- Meeting to this important topic. The Program has been tion risks from a long-term space mission, and Report No. divided into a number of topical sessions that will exam- 142 (2002), which provided an Operational Radiation ine and discuss some of the important questions and Safety Program for Astronauts in Low-Earth Orbit: A Basic issues facing our aeronautical professions. Framework. The Seventeenth Annual Warren K. Sinclair Keynote Following the commitment of the Bush Presidency to the Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Serena Auñón-Chancellor. Space Exploration Program and in response to a request Dr. Auñón-Chancellor is an American astronaut, 1 physician, and engineer who recently flew on Expedition Bloomberg School of Public Health, whose research and 56/57 (June to December 2018) to the International practice targets the intersection of environmental health Space Station. She exemplifies the target audience for sciences, policy and law in the areas of radiation policy this year's subject matter and will set the tone of the and law. Importantly, he will address the ethics of apply- meeting by bringing her personal perspective on the risks ing scientifically developed risk assessments to aeronau- of high altitude flight, particularly in space, and how these tical professionals. are currently perceived by those personnel who may be Program Committee Co-Chairs, Drs. Jacqueline P. most affected. Williams and Cary Zeitlin, will wrap up the meeting with Following the Keynote, the first session will provide an reflections on some of the meeting's highlights. NCRP overview of the amalgam of stressors experienced by air- President, Dr. Kathryn D. Held, will conclude the meeting crews and astronauts that may contribute to the risks by presenting a brief overview of recent NCRP activities from flight, providing a perspective on the complexity of and a vision for the future direction of NCRP. the flight environment. The second session will take a Questions from attendees at the virtual meeting can be critical look at the cancer risk seen in both aircrews and submitted at any time using the Chat feature in the virtual astronauts, and the following two sessions will be dedi- meeting platform. Session chairs and speakers will cated to a number of the noncancer risks that have been address as many questions as time permits. identified. The final session will assess the markers and potential countermeasures that may be available to pre- Established in April 2019, the inaugurational John D. dict and alleviate flight-associated effects. Boice, Jr., Young Investigator Awardee, Dr. Deepesh Pou- del, Los Alamos National Laboratory, was announced at Complementing this program, the Forty-Fourth Lauriston the 2020 NCRP Annual Business Meeting and will be rec- S. Taylor Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Robert Ullrich, ognized at this meeting. This Award is given to recognize Vice-Chair and Chief of Research for the Radiation an early career professional engaged in some aspect of Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima, Japan, and science pertaining to radiation protection and measure- former Director of the NASA Specialized Center for ments. Research on Carcinogenesis. He is a pioneer in the field of radiation carcinogenesis and will provide an overview NCRP gratefully acknowledges recordings provided by: of the experimental work carried out in this field and its • the Joint Armed Forces Honor Guard from the Mili- role in our understanding of the radiation risks associated tary District of Washington D.C. who will open our with space flight. Annual Meeting; and The Fourth Thomas S. Tenforde Lecture will be delivered • Kimberly Jordan of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory by Dr. Paul Locke, Professor at Johns Hopkins Commission who will sing our National Anthem. 2 Radiation & Flight: A Down-to-Earth Look at Risks Monday, April 19, 2021 11:20 am Characterization