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Space Studies Board Annual Report 2006 (2007) / Chapter Skim
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5.6 Space Radiation Hazards and the Vision for Space Exploration: Report of a Workshop
Pages 59-62

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From page 59...
... The objectives of the workshop were to increase awareness and understanding of the complex array of solar and space physics issues pertinent to the environments of Earth, the Moon, and Mars; to identify compelling research goals necessary to ensure the success of the Vision for Space Exploration in these environments; and to discuss the directions that research in these fields should take over the coming decades in order to achieve these goals. The workshop effectively recognized that a multidisciplinary approach to defining the challenges of human exploration is required because no single National Academy of Sciences decadal survey or combination of surveys provides the type of advice needed for the new programs that are anticipated under the Vision for Space Exploration.
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From page 60...
... During the workshop, many of the participants focused for the first time in decades on ways that their research corresponds with NASA's needs to support humans traveling beyond low Earth orbit. Among the points that the workshop participants agreed on were the following: • Developing timely predictions of the radiation environment is a complex task whose components vary depending on the timescale considered and on the mission characteristics; • Delivering timely predictions requires advances in basic space and solar physics, development of observational assets, improved modeling capabilities, and careful design of communications; • The space operations community -- that is, those who plan and manage human spaceflight missions -- must be informed about these advances in understanding and expanding capabilities so that operators can take advantage of advances; and • In some cases operational tools (i.e., tools for space operations)
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From page 61...
... For example, a solar and space physics objective may require detailed particle energy resolution over a limited range of particle energies, while radiological health measurements require data for a broader range of energies but do not require the high resolution. Consequently, the data analysis phase of many solar and space physics experiments, constrained by budget limitations, did not recover all of the available information relevant to radiation protection.
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From page 62...
... It is critical to decide at the outset what the radiation risk mitigation strategy will be and then to integrate this strategy into the mission concept early in the design phase. The generic elements of a radiation risk mitigation strategy include space environment situational awareness, radiation exposure forecasting, and exposure impact and risk analysis.
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Key Terms

  • space physics
  • radiation environment
  • space exploration
  • space operations
  • radiation risk

  • operations community
  • radiological health
  • radiation workers
  • human exploration
  • galactic cosmic

  • earth orbit
  • timely predictions
  • low earth
  • space science
  • earthbound radiation

  • cosmic radiation
  • radiation hazards
  • radiation protection
  • radiation exposure
  • powerful solar

  • solar event
  • physics community
  • solar energetic
  • workshop effectively
  • energetic particle

  • apollo missions
  • exploration missions
  • health protection
  • research tools
  • science community


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