ISS Cosmic Radiation Results Published
MATROSHKA Experiment: Space Travel is a Bit Safer Than Expected, Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
“Analysis of data from the MATROSHKA experiment, the first comprehensive measurements of long-term exposure of astronauts to cosmic radiation, has now been completed. This experiment, carried out on board and outside of the International Space Station, showed that the cosmos may be less hostile to space travellers than expected.”
Performing this testing around the ISS and saying “the cosmos may be less hostile to space travelers than expected” is a bit misleading. This data is only true for the LEO environment protected to some extent by the Van Allen belts. Geostationary and interplanetary environments are considerably more exposed and more dangerous.
The researchers are aware of that and the article makes reference to that fact in the concluding paragraphs. Their conclusion based on the experiments is that the effects of cosmic radiation beyond LEO will be lower than expected but still dangerous.
The importance is that hopefully less shielding will be needed on long voyages thus reducing weight.
The next obvious step is to do a MATROSHKA-2 experiment on the proposed EML-2 ‘exploration habitat’ they’re talking about launching on one of the early SLS flights. Compare the data with the ISS results and you’ll get a better idea of what it’s like outside the magnetosphere.
I agree with you. Not only cosmic radiation, but variations in solar radiation need to be accounted for. During Apollo we had a system of surveillance satellites that would give us some early warning on solar ejections. In Apollo we just got lucky. You might’ve been able to protect the astronaut in the command module with proper alignment of the heat shield. Those guys down on the lunar surface would have been toast. I presume the system of solar weather satellites will be needed for any significant BEO explorations. Probably a complete overhaul of the deep space network. And fairly sophisticated mitigation strategies. Probably a whole butt load of life science research. All of that extra cost needs to be rolled into any plan for BEO exploration whether you go to the Moon, asteroids, Phobos or Mars.