Questions tagged [radiation]
Questions about impact of radiation on space exploration.
208
questions
3
votes
1
answer
153
views
How to screen commercial electronics components for radiation tolerance
How would I actually go about qualifying COTS components for use in space, especially re radiation tolerance. I found some good stuff on the requirements for doing so, especially:
How to test the ...
- 31
2
votes
1
answer
76
views
Where can I find citeable material on radiation shielding solutions utilized on different test missions?
I'm having a hard time finding citeable material on what different radiation shielding solutions different test missions have utilized.
So far I've found that:
SpectroCube only shields its most ...
1
vote
1
answer
70
views
NASA CAPSTONE Radiation shielding
What solutions in radiation shielding or radiation effect mitigation were made on the NASA CAPSTONE mission? Specifically, anything related to radiation shielding is of interest.
I'm having trouble ...
5
votes
1
answer
267
views
For how long could astronauts stay on the surface of Europa, Jupiter's moon, with our current latest and most advanced spacesuit before dying?
Is it possible for astronauts to land on Europa safely?
Given the fact that radiation level on Europa is about 5.4 Sv (or about 540 rem) per day and the temperature is around -260 °F (or about -160 °C)...
- 51
3
votes
1
answer
84
views
Secondary radiation on the moon? (reference request)
I am studying the radiation environment on the moon and would like to read about how secondary radiation has been measured, simulated or even estimated for the lunar surface.
Has this been done? If so,...
- 903
2
votes
0
answers
155
views
Are there already spacecraft equipped with RAD5500 processors?
Just stumbled across RAD750s successor, the RAD5500.
Are there already spacecraft using this Chip, or are there plans for this chip? Looks pretty new!
- 1,158
3
votes
2
answers
137
views
How much solar radiation hits a spacecraft in transit to Mars?
How can I solve for the amount of radiation that hits a Mars transit vehicle, in transit? What formulas should I use? I am mostly focused on solar radiation.
- 31
1
vote
1
answer
127
views
Good solar absorptivity and infrared emissivity values for non-anodized machined aluminum
Existing sources that I'm looking at show a wide range of possible absorptivity/emissivity values for aluminum:
http://www.solarmirror.com/fom/fom-serve/cache/43.html
https://www.thermoworks.com/...
- 165
1
vote
0
answers
20
views
How to model the kinematics of gases expelled from comets and planetary atmospheres? [closed]
Once the ices of comets sublimate, where do they move to, and with which equations do you describe their motion in the interplanetary medium? Similarly, where do the gases that are stripped from the ...
- 569
4
votes
2
answers
138
views
JWST detector heat load
A lot of information has been published about shielding the JWST from solar radiation and the need to maintain the detectors at a low temperature, but little has been said about the other sources of ...
- 41
4
votes
1
answer
152
views
Software to estimate radiation dose for an orbit
I am searching for a software/method, possibly open-source or free, to estimate the radiation dose for an orbit around earth.
- 450
6
votes
1
answer
445
views
Why does the Buzz Aldrin Mars Cycler not play a larger role in planning for Mars exploration?
In 1985 Buzz Aldrin AKA “Dr. Rendezvous” proposed using a pair of space station habitats in solar cycler orbits as “Up and Down Escalators” for crewed Earth-Mars transfers. https://en.wikipedia.org/...
- 15.9k
0
votes
2
answers
178
views
Are valleys a good alternative to caves for radiation shielding?
Lava tube systems and caves have been discussed a lot when it comes to establishing a base on the Moon or Mars in order to protect it from the continuous exposure to lethal radiation, as well as ...
- 467
1
vote
1
answer
143
views
A passive radiation shield to protect a space settlement in Jupiter's orbit
I know that passive radiation shielding blocks radiation.
Layer 1: tin and lead - 1.5m
Layer 2: Kevlar, Mylar - 0.5m for MMOD protection
Layer 3: Carbyne - 1m for strength
Layer 4: beta cloth and ...
1
vote
1
answer
97
views
Feasibility of an artificial magnetosphere for a space settlement
For a space settlement radiation shielding can be categorized into two types, active and passive. Creating high current magnetic fields to counter radiation comes under active and using materials such ...
2
votes
0
answers
56
views
Measuring properties of Van Allen radiation belts
How are the properties of the Van Allen radiation belts measured or monitored?
Below is the link of my question, that leads me to asking this one. One method is mentioned there but there may be others....
- 171
3
votes
1
answer
143
views
Analyzing Van Allen belt's radiation Dataset
Is it possible for us to somehow get the dataset related to radiation of Van Allen Belt,
so as to work upon it and analyze it using AI model.
I'm looking for numerical data regarding level of ...
- 171
5
votes
1
answer
126
views
What are the differences between 'Shield thickness' and 'Sphere thickness'?
In space radiation shielding-related literature, equivalent BFO doses are sometimes provided in terms of sphere thickness (g/cm^2). For example in Fig. 1 of [Ref 1] (the figure is attached below), the ...
- 51
23
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How much UV radiation will Mars inhabitants receive?
I have a new weather station for my home, and it included a UV radiation monitor. But I then thought, “What’s the UV radiation levels on Mars? How much higher is it than Earth?” I tried searching the ...
- 333
7
votes
1
answer
221
views
Does cosmic radiation have a predominant 'direction of origin'?
Considering some speculative designs, and am going through radiation-shielding options. It seems that, other than during solar flare activity, the main thing to protect against on a day-to-day basis ...
- 461
29
votes
2
answers
4k
views
How did the Apollo guidance computers deal with radiation?
I was wondering how the Apollo guidance computer handled the radiation encountered in space
- 291
2
votes
1
answer
148
views
Is radiation on Mars line-of-sight? [duplicate]
Roughly a year ago, there was a TV show about colonizing Mars; National Geographic channel I think. The habitats were underground to avoid the Sun's radiation.
So I'm wondering: does the radiation ...
- 123
1
vote
0
answers
54
views
Highest frequencies of EMPs in space
When a nuke detonates, an EMP at about 100 MHz followd. A pulsar on the other hand, has a comparatively low frequency, and while I know that this frequency depends on its spin and doesn't represent ...
- 237
4
votes
0
answers
69
views
Resources/guidelines on space electronics compliance?
Space hardware suffers from various effects such as radiation, heating, vibration, off-gassing, material degradation and so on. While these effects are mentioned in most space engineering books, I am ...
- 173
3
votes
1
answer
263
views
How will the future Mars Space Suit Helmet design protect Astronauts from Martian Radiation?
Mars Space Suit Helmet Visor's were mostly made up of polycarbonate [1], the same material used for EMU's visor for performing EVA in earth orbit. Meanwhile, Mars' radiation is 2.5x higher. How are we ...
8
votes
1
answer
187
views
Rad-Hard vs Space-Hard computing
Radiation hardened CPUs like RAD750 are radiation hardened for up to 1000 gray. Cool. But, as CPUs have advanced way ahead their mechanical counterparts in miniaturization and fragility, energy ...
- 183
15
votes
1
answer
952
views
What makes Insight's RAD750 processor so radiation resistant? (compared to 1998 iMac's PowerPC 750)
Gizmodo's A 1990s iMac Processor Powers NASA’s Perseverance Rover references NewScientist and says:
However, there’s a major difference between the iMac’s CPU and the one inside the Perseverance ...
- 149k
27
votes
8
answers
7k
views
Can we power things (like cars or similar rovers) on earth in the same way Perseverance generates power?
I was watching a video on the engineering of Perseverance and it states that the rover is powered by 4.8kg of Plutonium Dioxide. I was wondering if that similar process of electricity generation can ...
- 389
11
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How radioactive is surface regolith on the Moon?
Use of regolith for shielding from cosmic radiation seems the most practical solution for perspective lunar surface bases.
But lunar regolith should gather some secondary radiation while being ...
- 9,031
2
votes
0
answers
66
views
Satellites | Debris & EMR
Over time we are launching plethora of communication satellites into space, with old ones reaching their lifespan and new ones replacing them. My Question is two folds:
Are we simply creating more ...
- 269
3
votes
0
answers
750
views
Are Solid State Hard Drives in space made from radiation-hardened FLASH memory, or do they just use older technology with higher voltage and charge?
Answers to Why is the James Webb Space Telescope's data storage space so small? have got me thinking.
Solid State Hard Drives (SSDs) are usually made from FLASH memory though alternatives like ...
- 149k
0
votes
2
answers
278
views
For deep space missions, how thick must the water filled layer within the ship's hull be to effectively shield against cosmic rays? [closed]
Initially i proposed a 27cm thick barrier. But im not really sure thatll be enough
- 1
5
votes
0
answers
120
views
How close a crewed spacecraft could orbit Jupiter?
How close could a crewed spacecraft orbit Jupiter?
I read that Juno was as close as 5,000 km from Jupiter's top clouds, but I'm wondering about a spacecraft with humans inside (provided it's protected ...
- 51
23
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How does steel deteriorate in translunar space?
To confirm the identity of a 1966 Centaur booster returning near earth in 2020, NASA took some spectroscopy observations. They didn't match those of the same metal (301 stainless steel) on earth, ...
- 11.4k
4
votes
0
answers
61
views
What is the required laser intensity to ionize interstellar gas in front of a Bussard ramjet?
In a Bussard ramjet interstellar gas is collected using a large magnetic field to be fused and used as reaction mass. While a number of papers have explored the constraints on the magnetic field, what ...
- 141
3
votes
0
answers
72
views
How do deep-space spacecraft and space stations protect the crew and electronic equipment from radiation during long-duration missions?
Question: How would a deep-space spacecraft protect its crew and electronics from cosmic radiation, solar wind, and solar events?
I'm trying to design a hypothetical space station and have been doing ...
- 227
4
votes
1
answer
143
views
Could the magnetosphere of Mercury protect humans?
In theory, we built a space station orbiting Mercury like the ISS on Earth. Will the magnetosphere of Mercury similarly protect humans from this radiation (despite being close to the sun)?
NGC224
4
votes
0
answers
145
views
Can an electrostatic shield provide protection from the Van Allen belt?
Would an electrostatic shield provide enough protection for a crewed space craft to survive in the Van Allen belt for more then an hour?
- 175
7
votes
2
answers
436
views
Could Laika have survived the Van Allen radiation during the intended duration of her mission?
Laika the dog was the first animal in space, aboard Sputnik 2. According to this answer, her mission was intended for 10 days, but Laika survived only 2 days due to the spacecraft overheating. ...
- 47.6k
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What would it take to survive the radiation on the surface of Ganymede?
Out of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter, only Callisto is at a safe distance from its parent planet that the radiation is low enough so one is able to colonize it. Io is totally uncolonizable (from ...
user35272
2
votes
0
answers
52
views
What is the radiation level at the L2 Mars-Sun point?
This answer shows that the radiation levels at the L2 Mars-Sun point will be lower because it lies within Mars' solar umbra. So what will the level of radiation be at the L2 Mars-Sun point?
Also, how ...
- 21
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Would astronauts on the ISS be affected by the radiation from a global nuclear war?
I was wondering what would happen to the ISS astronauts if some global disaster wiped out all ground support. This question tells us that a 2-person crew might survive up to a year on stockpiled food ...
- 192
2
votes
4
answers
547
views
If solar radiation can heat up gas particles in the thermosphere, why will it not heat up a spacecraft?
NASA says that the reason why a spacecraft does not get hot in the thermosphere is because there are not enough gas particles to come into contact with the spacecraft to heat it up.
If you were ...
- 87
2
votes
1
answer
194
views
How will space suit computers likely be radiation hardened?
Writing this comment inspired the following question:
Space suits are critical to life, so if there's a solar storm and the astronaut has received a less-than-lethal dose of radiation, they'll be ...
- 149k
5
votes
1
answer
180
views
How Safe Is Phobos in Terms of Radiation Exposure?
I am wondering if Mars' body provides enough protection against radiation on Phobos. The lack of magnosphere is a significant factor highly worsening the radiation exposure, making the planet ...
- 53
8
votes
1
answer
562
views
Influence of solar wind and radiation pressure on a sail
Solar wind is composed of a mixture of materials travelling between 250 and 750 km per second.
Radiation pressure involves electromagnetic field travelling at light speed.
If considering a sail in ...
- 4,098
6
votes
2
answers
151
views
Were there any noticeable immune system changes observed for people staying for long in space?
I have read this article about how difficult is to send ships to another possible habitable world. One aspect deals with the human bacterial companions which might be greatly affected by prolonged ...
- 205
8
votes
1
answer
232
views
How is Parker Solar Probe so robust against coronal mass ejections?
Phys.org's Revealing the physics of the Sun with Parker Solar Probe quotes "Tim Horbury, a lead researcher on Parker Solar Probe's FIELDS instruments based at Imperial College London" as saying:
"...
- 149k
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why make X-ray shielding from titanium, when lead is 6 times lighter?
Probes visiting Jupiter and its moons protect their equipment from X-rays with titanium shielding. Juno had 180 kg of the stuff. Europa Clipper is expected to have about that much too.
Terrestrial ...
- 11.4k
11
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Did the Apollo missions fly "over the top" of the Van Allen radiation belts?
In the video The Moon Trees That Flew To The Moon On Apollo 14 after about 08:47 Scott Manley says that Apollo 14 "flew up over the top" of the Van Allen radiation ...
- 149k