Anticipating the Dangers of Space Radiation (utexas.edu) 23
aarondubrow writes: Astronauts and future space tourists face risks from radiation, which can cause illness and injure organs. Researchers from Texas A&M, NASA, and the University of Texas Medical Branch used supercomputers at the Texas Advanced Computing Center to investigate the radiation exposure related to the Manned Orbiting Laboratory mission, planned for the 1960s and 1970s [but never actually flown], during which a dangerous solar storm occurred. They also explored the historical limitations of radiation research and how such limitations could be addressed in future endeavors.
Supercomputers could be "a game-changer" when it comes to predicting the risks of space radiation, allowing NASA to make life-saving decisions in real-time, argues one of the researchers. During that 1972 solar storm, skin and organs would've risked being exposed to radiation in excess of NASA limits, though one of the study's co-authors believes that rather than risking harm to the astronauts, NASA would've promptly terminated that mission.
"Though the study explored the historical missions, the researchers had in mind future commercial space flights, like those proposed by SpaceX or Virgin Galactic, that will likely travel a similar orbit to best show off the beauty of Earth from space."
Supercomputers could be "a game-changer" when it comes to predicting the risks of space radiation, allowing NASA to make life-saving decisions in real-time, argues one of the researchers. During that 1972 solar storm, skin and organs would've risked being exposed to radiation in excess of NASA limits, though one of the study's co-authors believes that rather than risking harm to the astronauts, NASA would've promptly terminated that mission.
"Though the study explored the historical missions, the researchers had in mind future commercial space flights, like those proposed by SpaceX or Virgin Galactic, that will likely travel a similar orbit to best show off the beauty of Earth from space."
Tinpot space-station designs... (Score:1)
Do away with them. Big, 1G-simulating spinning space-wheels with nuclear-powered magnetic field generators to redirect all of that solar-shit to enormous lead-lined shields at either end.
Sure, it'll cost a couple of trillion, but just take it from your war-fund. You don't need any more of those.
Mars mission? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
Water shield (Score:3)
I have wondered about this and haven't found a definitive answer: if you use water for a radiation shield, does it become contaminated and unusable after it absorbs the output of a solar storm?
Even if it does it seems to me the best option.
Re: (Score:2)
Which is why nuclear reactor core coolant doesn't become radioactive, right? ;)
3H (effectively) doesn't capture neutrons, but both 1H and 2H do. 1H has a pretty high cross section for them, so readily breeds 2H, although 2H has a rather small cross section, 3 orders of ma
Re: (Score:2)
"the heating of water from GCR or solar radiation is utterly irrelevant"
Neutron capture is nearly so, as there's no cosmic or solar neutrons to capture. Solar radiation and cosmic rays are composed of charged particle radiation and EM. Only GCRs are capable of inducing radioactivity, and that's by spallation, not neutron capture. The only free neutrons are those produced by spallation, and the contribution is minor.
Your primary concern is bremsstrahlung, electromagnetic secondary radiation, which can be sig
Re: (Score:2)
Probably needs to be more high tech. You are not trying to 'stop' radiation. You are trying to convert high frequency photons into lower frequency photons ie gamma down to infra red. Likely method involving crystalline structures and electron flows, fancy molecular engineering to force that change, rather than simply intervening mass. Even better if you can convert it into electron energy flows, as high frequency photovoltaic panel ie converting a negative into a positive, heh heh.
Radiation is dangerous (Score:3)
What's the story here anyway, radiaton, supercomputers, NASA's budget, or the ubiquitous Elon Musk?
I'm Surprised (Score:3)
Supercomputers could be "a game-changer" when it comes to predicting the risks of space radiation ... During that 1972 solar storm, skin and organs would've risked being exposed to radiation in excess of NASA limits,
So using a big enough one as a shield would stop the radiation? Supercomputers -- what CAN'T they do? That ECC stuff is actually good for something!
And then really, you've got a timing problem. You discover high incoming radiation but don't have time to get the astronauts back home / out of the way. At some point you've got to block the rays, deflect them, dance between them, outrun them, or suck it up.
Re: (Score:1)
The robots wont care (Score:2)
Humans are already obsolete technology for space travel.