Content area
Full Text
Nelson, G. A. Space Radiation and Human Exposure, A Primer. Radiat. Res. 185, 349-358 (2016).
The space radiation environment is a complex field comprised primarily of charged particles spanning energies over many orders of magnitude. The principal sources of these particles are galactic cosmic rays, the Sun and the trapped radiation belts around the earth. Superimposed on a steady influx of cosmic rays and a steady outward flux of low-energy solar wind are short-term ejections of higher energy particles from the Sun and an 11-year variation of solar luminosity that modulates cosmic ray intensity. Human health risks are estimated from models of the radiation environment for various mission scenarios, the shielding of associated vehicles and the human body itself. Transport models are used to propagate the ambient radiation fields through realistic shielding levels and materials to yield radiation field models inside spacecraft. Then, informed by radiobiological experiments and epidemiology studies, estimates are made for various outcome measures associated with impairments of biological processes, losses of function or mortality. Cancer-associated risks have been formulated in a probabilistic model while management of non-cancer risks are based on permissible exposure limits. This article focuses on the various components of the space radiation environment and the human exposures that it creates. ^ 2016 by Radiation Research Society
INTRODUCTION
The CONTREC conference (Morrilton, AK, May 6-9, 2015) was a forum for discussion of the effects of ionizing radiation exposure on normal tissue. A unique situation involving normal tissue exposure is that experienced during space travel by healthy astronauts, and it is considered to be a limiting aspect of long-duration space missions, especially beyond low Earth orbit (1). This article describes the unique space radiation environment and its implications for health risks associated with space travel as adapted from a CONTREC lecture. It is intended as a primer for those unfamiliar with this topic.
HUMAN ENVIRONMENTS IN SPACE
The human environments in space can be associated with several mission architectures, which may be described in the form of reference missions. There are low Earth orbital missions aboard the International Space Station. There may be space operations in the vicinity of the Moon, such as in lunar orbit or at a stable gravitational point such as the L2 Lagrange point or...