Abstract This paper explores the changes in the radiation quantity whole body effective dose equivalent () caused by galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) by varying position, geometry, material, and thickness of radiation shielding in order to determine possible launch characteristics of a vehicle design. The On-Line Tool for the Assessment of Radiation in Space (OLTARIS) was used to simulate deep space missions lasting 180 or 400 days with a mission radiation surrogate exposure limit of 150 . Previous work used only spherical shielding; however, the shielding geometries investigated in this paper were right circular cylinders and spheres comprised of aluminum, polyethylene, liquid methane, water, and liquid hydrogen. Materials were evaluated individually, in multi-material pressure vessel mock-ups, and personal protection forms for individual astronauts. With single-material shielding, a single launch of shielding material to low Earth orbit (LEO) was possible for all materials for a 180 day mission, but insufficient for a 400 day mission. Multi-material and personal protection forms, as well, were found to be suitable for a 180 day mission, but not for a 400 day mission. Overall, no feasible designs in these analyses were able to meet the surrogate limit and protect an astronaut for 400 days.
Highlights OLTARIS shows a position dependent exposure within a vehicle. Right circular cylinders and spheres show approximately the same exposure. A launch of a material will not exceed 150 mSv effective dose for 180 days. No feasible designs were found for a 400 day mission.
Radiation engineering analysis of shielding materials to assess their ability to protect astronauts in deep space from energetic particle radiation
Acta Astronautica ; 171 ; 23-30
2020-02-10
8 pages
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
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