Re: Cosmic radiation could thwart space colonization


"Enough Already" <enough_already@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:48644646-567b-4ba9-94c2-a5feee8cb217@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKN3139657820080401:

"Cosmic rays are so dangerous and so poorly understood that people are
unlikely to get to Mars or even back to the moon until better ways are
found to protect astronauts, experts said on Monday."

From http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,344491,00.html:

"Dangerous levels of radiation in space could bar astronauts from a
mission to Mars and limit prolonged activity on the moon, experts now
caution."


While not exactly breaking news, the above could derail plans to
colonize other planets, often used as an excuse to ignore Earthly
limits and trash the "local" environment. You people know who you are.

Nice of you to ignore this section:

Possible solutions
When it comes to shielding astronauts from radiation, spacecraft
designers and mission planners have to consider trading off a safe
amount of protective material - say, high density plastic - with
cutting weight in order to enter space practically.
Crafts that are too heavy simply can't carry enough fuel to make
flight practical.
Further research could not only look into better shielding
materials, but also spacecraft designs that put electronics and
machinery in the periphery between astronauts and harm's way.

That and this only applies to the transit time to/from the moon or Mars.
Once there, it's entirely possible to heap a lot of local soil on top of
your living quarters to act as shielding. So you don't *have* to take *all*
your shielding with you during the transit to/from your destination.

"Lava tubes on the moon might also be useful as habitats from a
shielding point of view," Schimmerling said. "I don't know how
realistic the idea is, but they would have the advantage of
reduced exposure to radiation."

If you're talking about building large scale colonies, you can create your
own tunnels. Tunnel boring machines are pretty common on earth.

The sun is a major source of dangerous radiation astronauts
might encounter especially during solar storms that can erupt
with little notice. The committee also recommended further
research into forecasting these outbursts.

Of course they're going to recommend more research, they're the ones who
would get those research dollars! Scientists will *always* say there is
more research to be don, it's their freaking job!

Seriously, spacecraft designers will take this into account. One of the
best things you can do for a large spacecraft design is stick your water
storage tanks around your solar flare shelter since water is good at
absorbing radiation. If a flare erupts, you have to "hunker down" in the
shelter until its over, but you're not going to die. Even for a small craft
like Orion, you can orient your spacecraft so the radiation has to travel
through the rest of the craft before it gets to the crew cabin at the other
end. That way the rest of the craft, like your fuel and oxidizer tanks, can
absorb some of the radiation.

There is always risk, but risk is part of the exploration/colonization
business.

Jeff
--
A clever person solves a problem.
A wise person avoids it. -- Einstein


Jeff
--
A clever person solves a problem.
A wise person avoids it. -- Einstein


.

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