NASA’s Artemis I Mission: Groundbreaking Insights on Space Radiation Protection for Future Mars Missions

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• The Artemis I mission used special sensors and mannequins (Helga and Zohar) to gather vital information about radiation exposure in space.
• The data provides valuable insights into the protection of astronauts during long-duration missions, such as a trip to Mars.
• Design features of the Orion spacecraft, including a special “storm shelter” provided up to four times more protection than less protected areas.

Scientists have recently gathered vital information about radiation exposure in space during NASA’s The Artemis I mission uses special sensors and mannequins named Helga and Zohar. This data provides valuable insights into the protection of astronauts during long-duration missions, such as a trip to Mars.

The Orion spacecraft, which will fly around the moon and return to Earth without a crew in 2022, was equipped with instruments such as NASA’s HERA and the European Space Agency’s EAD sensors to continuously monitor radiation levels. These measurements are critical because space radiation poses a serious threat to astronauts during long periods outside the Earth’s protective magnetic field.

Simulate human exposure

Sources such as galactic cosmic rays and particles released by solar flares can increase the risk of radiation sickness, cancer, central nervous system problems and degenerative diseases in astronauts. To simulate a human manifestation, Helga and Zohar, mannequins designed to represent female bodies, were placed in the Orion capsule. They were equipped with sensors to measure the amount of radiation in their skin and internal organs. Zohar was wearing a radiation protection vest, and Helga had no protection.

Insights from the data

These “radiation ghosts” allowed researchers to understand how radiation is distributed throughout the body at different levels of space-light, particularly as they passed through the Van Allen belts and during interplanetary travel. The data collected from these mannequins will be essential in refining radiation protection strategies for future missions.

The research, published in the journal Nature, highlighted the effectiveness of Orion’s design features. Areas inside the capsule designed to provide maximum protection, including a special “storm shelter” for astronauts in extreme weather such as solar flares, provided up to four trips more protected than areas with less shield. This discovery confirms spacecraft design for future missions.

Impact on future missions

In addition, the Artemis I mission showed that the let him Galactic cosmic rays in Orion were about 60 percent lower compared to previous non-critical interplanetary probes. This difference reflects the advantage of a spacecraft designed specifically with radiation protection in mind. An orientation effect was also noted: radiation levels halved when the spacecraft turned 90 degrees while flying through the inner Van Allen belt.

These findings add significantly to our understanding of radiation exposure in space outside the Earth’s magnetic field, which provides limited shielding. As humanity moves further into space, the Artemis I mission and data analysis provide valuable insights to protect the health of astronauts during long missions such as future lunar bases and missions to Mars.

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