Tag

Space Radiation

All articles tagged with #space radiation

space28 days ago•10 min saved

Cosmic Rays Flash Lights for ISS Crews

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station report seeing flashes of light with eyes closed caused by high-energy cosmic rays passing through their bodies, either directly ionizing the retina or via Cherenkov radiation. Historical experiments (SilEye/ALTEA) linked particle tracks to the flashes, confirming the phenomenon and highlighting space radiation as a detectable, personal readout of exposure and a major shielding challenge for long-duration missions.

via Space Daily|

#cherenkov-radiation #cosmic-rays #iss

science1 month ago•10 min saved

Cosmic Rays Flicker in Space: Apollo Astronauts See Lights in the Dark

Apollo astronauts trying to sleep en route to the Moon saw brief, colorless flashes linked to cosmic rays passing through the eye; Apollo 16/17 detectors tied particle tracks to the reports, supporting retinal ionization and related mechanisms, though the exact biophysics remains debated. The finding highlights that deep-space radiation can be perceptible and poses a concern for long-duration missions beyond Earth.

via Space Daily|

#apollo-missions #astronaut-vision #cosmic-rays

technology7 months ago•7 min saved

Airbus Faces Multiple Quality Issues and Groundings on A320 Fleet

A JetBlue flight's sudden altitude drop was caused by cosmic ray-induced bit flips in its computer systems, leading Airbus to recall over 6,000 aircraft for software and hardware updates to prevent similar incidents caused by space radiation affecting microchips in fly-by-wire systems.

via BBC|

#aircraft-safety #cosmic-rays #microchips

science8 months ago•0 min saved

The South Atlantic Anomaly: Earth's Magnetic Crisis and Its Global Impact

A growing weak spot in Earth's magnetic field called the South Atlantic Anomaly could cause satellite malfunctions, blackouts, and increased radiation exposure for spacecraft and astronauts, with the anomaly expanding significantly since 2014 due to changes at the Earth's core boundary.

via The Independent|

#earths-magnetic-field #magnetic-field-distortion #satellite-malfunctions

science8 months ago•6 min saved

Enceladus's Ice and Radiation Indicate Potential for Life

Recent research suggests that some organic molecules detected in plumes from Saturn's moon Enceladus may be produced by natural space radiation rather than originating from the moon's subsurface ocean, complicating the assessment of its habitability.

via Space|

#astrobiology #enceladus #icy-moons

science10 months ago•4 min saved

Artemis II Crew to Use Advanced Virtual and Biological Technologies for Space Health

NASA's Artemis 2 mission will serve as a platform for studying the effects of deep space on human health, with astronauts acting as subjects for experiments on sleep, stress, immune response, and radiation, while also testing innovative biomedical technologies like organ-on-a-chip devices, to better understand and prepare for long-duration space travel beyond low Earth orbit.

via Space|

#artemis-2 #human-health #microgravity

science10 months ago•5 min saved

Artemis II Crew to Use Avatars for Deep Space Health Research

NASA's Artemis II mission will carry the AVATAR experiment, using organ-on-a-chip devices containing astronaut cells to study the effects of deep space radiation and microgravity on human health, aiming to improve astronaut protection and advance personalized medicine.

via NASA Science (.gov)|

#artemis-ii #nasa #organ-on-a-chip

science10 months ago•8 min saved

Join the Mission: How You Can Support and Watch NASA's Artemis II Lunar Journey

NASA's Artemis II mission will serve as both a test flight and a scientific research platform, with astronauts acting as subjects to study the effects of deep space on human health, immune response, and performance, while also exploring the Moon and testing new technologies like organ-on-a-chip and radiation sensors to inform future lunar and Mars missions.

via NASA (.gov)|

#artemis-ii #deep-space-research #human-health

science11 months ago•5 min saved

Russia to Launch 'Noah’s Ark' Mission with Mice, Flies, and Lunar Simulants

Russia's Bion-M No. 2 mission, launching in August 2025, will study the effects of space radiation and microgravity on mice, fruit flies, and lunar simulants to advance understanding of space biology and future lunar construction, with a focus on long-term space travel health risks.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#biological-experiments #biosatellite #lunar-simulants

science11 months ago•9 min saved

Space Living Remains a Long-Term Goal Despite Billionaire Support

Living beyond Earth is currently deemed impossible due to significant challenges such as human health risks from microgravity and radiation, lack of breathable atmosphere on other celestial bodies, and the immense technical and financial hurdles of building sustainable habitats in space or on planets like Mars and the Moon. While concepts like space habitats and in-situ resource utilization are being explored, the human body's adaptation and protection from space hazards remain major obstacles.

via Business Insider|

#humanhealth #oneillcylinder #science

science1 year ago•7 min saved

Clingy Exoplanets May Cause Their Own Destruction, Study Finds

Astronomers using Cheops and TESS have discovered that the exoplanet HIP 67522 b, which orbits a young, active star, appears to trigger intense stellar flares that erode its wispy atmosphere, potentially leading to its transformation from a Jupiter-sized to a Neptune-sized planet within 100 million years, marking the first evidence of a planet influencing its host star's magnetic activity.

via Phys.org|

#exoplanet #hip-67522-b #science

space-exploration2 years ago•3 min saved

"Revolutionizing Active Shielding: Innovative Ideas for Viable Protection"

Space radiation poses a significant challenge for long-duration space missions, with solar events and galactic cosmic rays presenting different threats. While passive shielding is effective against solar events, it is inadequate for protecting against high-energy cosmic rays. Active shielding, which deflects charged particles like Earth's magnetic field, is a promising solution but has been difficult to implement. Earth's natural shielding system, consisting of its magnetic field, atmosphere, and planetary mass, provides significant protection, but replicating this in space is challenging. Developing miniaturized, portable active shielding technology may be the key to protecting astronauts on future deep space missions.

via Ars Technica|

#active-shielding #galactic-cosmic-rays #magnetic-field

space-science2 years ago•5 min saved

"Uncovering the Impact of Space Travel on Human Gut Health"

A recent study by an international team of scientists has highlighted the potential impact of prolonged space travel on the human gut microbiome, emphasizing the increased stress from microgravity and space radiation, including Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR). The researchers recommend further research to understand the risks associated with the space environment and suggest using the International Space Station (ISS) as an ideal environment for testing the human microbiome response to space radiation and microgravity. They stress the need for additional research to estimate the magnitude of adaptation in microorganisms before crewed deep-space exploration can be realized, as it has the potential to identify potential pathogens and develop strategies to prevent their spread during missions.

via ScienceAlert|

#astronaut-health #gut-microbiome #international-space-station

science-and-technology2 years ago•2 min saved

Solar Energetic Particle Event Detected on Earth, Moon, and Mars

A recent study has highlighted the risks of space radiation to lunar and Martian exploration, focusing on a Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) event detected on the surfaces of Earth, the Moon, and Mars. The research emphasizes the varying levels of natural protection against radiation on these celestial bodies and underscores the need for effective shielding to ensure astronaut safety in future space missions. Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere provide some protection, but the Moon and Mars lack similar shielding. Without adequate shielding, future lunar missions could face radiation risks during approximately one out of every five SEP events, while extreme SEP events during the journey to Mars or in Martian orbit pose a significant radiation risk for deep space missions.

via SciTechDaily|

#astronaut-safety #lunar-exploration #martian-exploration

space2 years ago•4 min saved

Shielding Europa Clipper: NASA's Innovative Approach to Space Radiation Protection

NASA's Europa Clipper mission, set to launch in October 2024, will face intense radiation and high-energy particles surrounding Jupiter as it investigates the ice-encrusted moon Europa. To protect the spacecraft's electronics, a specially designed aluminum vault has been sealed, reducing the radiation environment to acceptable levels. The mission will orbit Jupiter itself to minimize exposure to the harsh radiation and will fly past Europa nearly 50 times to gather scientific data. Scientists believe that radiation modifies Europa's surface and hope to study its effects. Understanding the radiation environment and its impact on Europa's geology and potential for habitability could unlock more secrets of the Jupiter system.

via NASA|

#europa-clipper #jupiter #nasa