On the problem of lunar radiation environment

In connection with projects of manned bases on the Moon it becomes topical to estimate radiation danger for their inhabitants. In this paper we describe a method of evaluation of the radiation environment on the lunar surface produced by galactic and solar cosmic rays. The roles of both primary and secondary radiations generated in the depth of the lunar soil under the action of high-energy protons and nuclei are taken into account. Calculated fluxes of particles are used in order to estimate annual averaged absorbed and equivalent local dose rates in tissues. It is established that in the lunar rock the contribution of secondary neutrons to the dose rate exceeds that of protons. The contribution of the secondary particles generated by nuclei of galactic cosmic rays to the dose rate is estimated.     

Dose estimates in a lunar shelter with regolith shielding

Beyond the Earth's atmosphere, galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) and solar energetic particles (SEPs) are a significant hazard to both manned and robotic missions. For long human missions on the lunar surface (months to a year) a radiation shelter is needed for dose mitigation and emergency protection in case of solar events. This paper investigates the interaction of source protons of solar events like those of February 1956 that emitted many fewer particles with energies up to 1000 MeV and of the October 1989 event of lower protons energy but higher fluence, with the lunar regolith and aluminum shielding of a lunar shelter. The shelter is 5 m in diameter and has a footprint of 5×8 m and a 10 cm thick aluminum support structure, however, actual thickness could be much smaller (～1–2 cm) depending on the weight of the regolith shielding piled on top. The regolith is shown to be slightly more effective than aluminum. Thus, the current results are still applicable for a thinner aluminum structure and increased equivalent (or same mass) thickness of the regolith. The shielding thicknesses to reduce the dose solely due to solar protons in the lunar shelter below those recommended by NASA to astronauts for 30 day-operation in space (250 mSv) and for radiation workers (50 mSv) are determined and compared. The relative attenuation of incident solar protons with regolith shielding and the dose estimates inside the shelter are calculated for center seeking, planar, and isotropic incidence of the source protons. With the center seeking incidence, the dose estimates are the highest, followed by those with isotropic incidence, and the lowest are those with the planar incidence.     

Probabilistic assessment of radiation risk for astronauts in space missions

Accurate estimations of the health risks to astronauts due to space radiation exposure are necessary for future lunar and Mars missions. Space radiation consists of solar particle events (SPEs), comprised largely of medium energy protons (less than several hundred MeV); and galactic cosmic rays (GCR), which include high-energy protons and heavy ions. While the frequency distribution of SPEs depends strongly upon the phase within the solar activity cycle, the individual SPE occurrences themselves are random in nature. A solar modulation model has been developed for the temporal characterization of the GCR environment, which is represented by the deceleration potential, ?. The risk of radiation exposure to astronauts as well as to hardware from SPEs during extra-vehicular activities (EVAs) or in lightly shielded vehicles is a major concern for radiation protection. To support the probabilistic risk assessment for EVAs, which could be up to 15% of crew time² on lunar missions, we estimated the probability of SPE occurrence as a function of solar cycle phase using a non-homogeneous Poisson model [1] to fit the historical database of measurements of protons with energy>30 MeV, Φ₃₀. The resultant organ doses and dose equivalents, as well as effective whole body doses, for acute and cancer risk estimations are analyzed for a conceptual habitat module and for a lunar rover during space missions of defined durations. This probabilistic approach to radiation risk assessment from SPE and GCR is in support of mission design and operational planning for future manned space exploration missions.     

Rapid assessment of radiobiological doses for terrestrial and interplanetary space missions

This paper presents the doses levels expected in orbits in chart form, covering the range 300-800 km of altitude and 0-90 degrees of inclination behind shieldings similar to the Hermes spacecraft and the EVA spacesuit matter distributions. These charts allow users to rapidly find the radiobiological dose received in the most critical organs of the human body either in normal situations or during a large solar event. Outside the magnetosphere, during interplanetary or lunar missions, when the dose received during crossing of the radiation belts become negligible, the dose is due to galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar flares. The correct radiobiological assessment of the components of this radiation field becomes a major problem. On the Moon a permanent ground-based station can be shielded by lunar materials against meteoroids and radiations. The radiobiological hazard, essentially linked to the solar flare risk during the transfer phase and the extra-station activities, may be solved by mission planning. For interplanetary flights the problem comes from both increased risk of solar events and from the continuous exposure to GCR. These energetic particles cannot be easily stopped by shieldings; cost considerations imply that more effective materials must be used. Impact on the vehicle design and the mission planning is important.     

载人航天器舱内辐射环境及剂量分析

构建载人航天器模型,利用Geant4软件计算了银河宇宙射线中的质子穿过载人航天器后在水模体中的总吸收剂量以及次级粒子吸收剂量,并且统计了不同种类的次级粒子在水模体中的总数量分布。计算结果表明,次级粒子引起的辐射剂量所占比例为50%,且二次电子总数量达到了10~7量级。     

Time profile of cosmic radiation exposure during the EXPOSE-E mission: the R3DE instrument

The aim of this paper is to present the time profile of cosmic radiation exposure obtained by the Radiation Risk Radiometer-Dosimeter during the EXPOSE-E mission in the European Technology Exposure Facility on the International Space Station's Columbus module. Another aim is to make the obtained results available to other EXPOSE-E teams for use in their data analysis. Radiation Risk Radiometer-Dosimeter is a low-mass and small-dimension automatic device that measures solar radiation in four channels and cosmic ionizing radiation as well. The main results of the present study include the following: (1) three different radiation sources were detected and quantified-galactic cosmic rays (GCR), energetic protons from the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) region of the inner radiation belt, and energetic electrons from the outer radiation belt (ORB); (2) the highest daily averaged absorbed dose rate of 426 μGy d(-1) came from SAA protons; (3) GCR delivered a much smaller daily absorbed dose rate of 91.1 μGy d(-1), and the ORB source delivered only 8.6 μGy d(-1). The analysis of the UV and temperature data is a subject of another article (Schuster et al., 2012 ).     

月球表面次级中子辐射环境仿真研究

由于缺少磁场和大气,宇宙线高能粒子轰击月壤可以形成月球特有的强中子辐射环境,并对航天员和电子设备造成潜在威胁。文章采用蒙特卡罗方法仿真研究宇宙线高能粒子辐射与月壤成分核反应产生的次级中子能谱特征,给出不同太阳活动、不同月壤深度下月球中子能谱特征和空间分布特征。仿真结果表明,宇宙线高能粒子导致的次级中子随着月壤深度的增加先增大后减小,大约在1 m深度达到最大值,深度越深银河宇宙线诱发的中子贡献越大。相关结果可为我国后续载人月球探测任务的辐射防护设计提供参考。     

Estimation of radiation risk for astronauts on the Moon

The problem of estimating the risk of radiation for humans on the Moon is discussed, taking into account the probabilistic nature of occurrence of solar particle events. Calculations of the expected values of tissue-averaged equivalent dose rates, which are created by galactic and solar cosmic-ray particle fluxes on the lunar surface behind shielding, are made for different durations of lunar missions.     

模拟载人探月中航天员空间辐射风险评估

空间辐射是长期载人航天飞行任务中影响航天员健康的重要风险因素。为了探求载人探月过程中对空间辐射的合理防护方式,文章借助空间辐射场模型对"嫦娥三号"飞行任务在不同质量厚度材料屏蔽下的舱内空间辐射环境进行了仿真计算,并确定了航天员各器官接受的空间辐射剂量、剂量当量以及有效剂量等辐射防护量以进行辐射风险评估。结果表明,随着屏蔽厚度的增加,航天员的各组织或器官的吸收剂量和剂量当量以及有效剂量均明显降低;采用质量屏蔽的方法对低于100 Me V的质子具有很好的防护效果,但对高能质子或重离子的防护效果不明显。计算和分析显示,载人探月过程中,只要采取适当的防护措施,航天员的空间辐射风险是可控的。     

Time Variations of Low-Energy Protons and Helium Nuclei (0.3–10 MeV/nucleon) during the Quiescent Time of Solar Activity in the Inner Heliosphere

Time variations with a duration of 0.6–1.5 years are studied in the interplanetary space for protons and helium nuclei with energies of 0.3–10 MeV per nucleon at a quiescent time of solar activity. It is shown that at 1 AU in the periods 1978–1981 and 1988–1990, at the phases of growth of the 21st and 22nd solar cycles, the background fluxes of these particles determined as minimum intensity levels in every month increased demonstrating steplike variations. At the same time, the intensity of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) decreased also with the formation of modulation steps. Each step of low-energy particles was finished by a deep minimum of intensity (gap) in both protons and helium nuclei and with a simultaneous short-term increase of the GCR intensity. We present the results of studying five such steps in the intensity of low-energy particles that were observed simultaneously and were opposite in phase with modulation steps of galactic particles. The lowest values of the H/He ratio were recorded at the end of every step, at the lowest intensities of these particles, i.e., in the gap. The true background population at 1 AU was detected precisely at these time intervals, when the contributions of flare particles and those accelerated in the international space were minimum. Various possibilities of the origination of the steplike variations of the background fluxes of protons and helium nuclei with energies of 0.3–10 MeV per nucleon, correlated with similar GCR variations, are discussed.     

Empirical model of pitch-angle distributions of trapped protons on the inner boundary of the Earth’s radiation belt

We have made a generalization of experimental data on the fluxes of trapped protons that were detected by various instruments on three low-orbit satellites (NOAA-17, Universitetskii-Tatiana, and CORONAS-F) during April of 2005. Based on these data, a new quantitative model is suggested to describe the fluxes of trapped protons. It allows one, using analytical expressions, to predict the fluxes of protons with energy from 30 keV to 140 MeV under quiet geomagnetic conditions in the period close to the solar activity minimum at drift shells L = 1.14–1.4. The suggested model establishes differential directional fluxes of protons as a function of pitchangle on the geomagnetic equator and takes into account the anisotropy of trapped particles on the lower boundary of the Earth’s radiation belt.     

Space radiation analysis: Radiation effects and particle interaction outside the Earth's magnetosphere using GRAS and GEANT4

In order to explore the Moon and Mars it is necessary to investigate the hazards due to the space environment and especially ionizing radiation. According to previous papers, much information has been presented in radiation analysis inside the Earth's magnetosphere, but much of this work was not directly relevant to the interplanetary medium. This work intends to explore the effect of radiation on humans inside structures such as the ISS and provide a detailed analysis of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar proton events (SPEs) using SPENVIS (Space Environment Effects and Information System) and CREME96 data files for particle flux outside the Earth's magnetosphere. The simulation was conducted using GRAS, a European Space Agency (ESA) software based on GEANT4. Dose and equivalent dose have been calculated as well as secondary particle effects and GCR energy spectrum. The calculated total dose effects and equivalent dose indicate the risk and effects that space radiation could have on the crew, these values are calculated using two different types of structures, the ISS and the TransHab modules. Final results indicate the amounts of radiation expected to be absorbed by the astronauts during long duration interplanetary flights; this denotes importance of radiation shielding and the use of proper materials to reduce the effects.     

Design of a Light,Foldable and Flexibility Lunar Base

In this paper, to meet the environmental requirements for the lunar surface, we outline the design of an intelligent shape memory polymer(SMP) capsule structure of lightweight using a flexible composite skin. Key breakthrough technology for manufacturing the high-performance multilayer composite is utilized to realize the requirements for folding and compressing during launching, and unfolding on the lunar surface, taking into account the current opposing requirements for launching and the space transportation mission of large equipment. Based upon the reduced constraints, better expansibility and easy assembly, this lunar base is suited to the initial and interim phases of a moon construction, and provides a national solution in the construction of lunar base on moon.     

月球表面及月壤内温度分布特征的数值模拟

文章建立了月表辐射与月壤内二维非稳态导热的耦合传热模型,采用控制容积法数值模拟月壤内的温度分布,主要研究了月表、月壤内温度的分布和变化规律及探测器对局部月表温度的影响。计算结果表明一昼夜期间月壤内存在明显的温差:浅层月壤处的昼夜温差较大且受纬度的影响明显;随着深度的增加,月壤昼夜温差降低并趋于稳定,且受纬度的影响较小。探测器的存在遮挡了月表接受的太阳辐射,导致其阴影区域内月表温度发生突变,新的平衡温度接近探测器底面温度,且受探测器驻留时间的影响较小;当探测器移开,月表温度又迅速恢复到原有的变化规律。     

Study of radiation conditions onboard the International space station by means of the Liulin-5 dosimeter

For estimating radiation risk in space flights it is necessary to determine radiation dose obtained by critical organs of a human body. For this purpose the experiments with human body models are carried out onboard spacecraft. These models represent phantoms equipped with passive and active radiation detectors which measure dose distributions at places of location of critical organs. The dosimetric Liulin-5 telescope is manufactured with using three silicon detectors for studying radiation conditions in the spherical tissue-equivalent phantom on the Russian segment of the International space station (ISS). The purpose of the experiment with Liulin-5 instrument is to study dynamics of the dose rate and particle flux in the phantom, as well as variations of radiation conditions on the ISS over long time intervals depending on a phase of the solar activity cycle, orbital parameters, and presence of solar energetic particles. The Liulin-5 dosimeter measures simultaneously the dose rate and fluxes of charged particles at three depths in the radial channel of the phantom, as well as the linear energy transfer. The paper presents the results of measurements of dose rate and particle fluxes caused by various radiation field components on the ISS during the period from June 2007 till December 2009.     

计算模拟月壤颗粒吸收及散射特性的一种球叠加模型

针对模拟月壤复杂的外形特征以及多相非均质的微观结构,提出了一种计算模拟月壤颗粒吸收及散射特性的球叠加模型。根据模拟月壤颗粒的形状指数和分形特征识别结果,归纳了4种主要的模拟月壤颗粒类型,并采用蒙特卡罗光线跟踪法研究了这4种颗粒在单色平行光照射下的吸收及散射特性。与已有的非球形颗粒辐射特性的算法比较显示,该模型具有良好的计算准确性。在数值计算的基础上,分析了颗粒尺度参数及光学常数对其自身辐射特性的影响,并通过改变平行光照下的光线入射角度,分析了非球形颗粒的朝向对其自身辐射特性的影响。由计算结果推断,该模型不仅可以应用于计算模拟月壤颗粒的辐射特性,还可以满足其他适用于几何光学近似的非球形粒子。     

Radiation transport modeling and assessment to better predict radiation exposure, dose, and toxicological effects to human organs on long duration space flights.

NASA is very interested in improving its ability to monitor and forecast the radiation levels that pose a health risk to space-walking astronauts as they construct the International Space Station and astronauts that will participate in long-term and deep-space missions. Human exploratory missions to the moon and Mars within the next quarter century, will expose crews to transient radiation from solar particle events which include high-energy galactic cosmic rays and high-energy protons. Because the radiation levels in space are high and solar activity is presently unpredictable, adequate shielding is needed to minimize the deleterious health effects of exposure to radiation. Today, numerous models have been developed and used to predict radiation exposure. Such a model is the Space Environment Information Systems (SPENVIS) modeling program, developed by the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronautics. SPENVIS, which has been assessed to be an excellent tool in characterizing the radiation environment for microelectronics and investigating orbital debris, is being evaluated for its usefulness with determining the dose and dose-equivalent for human exposure. Thus far. the calculations for dose-depth relations under varying shielding conditions have been in agreement with calculations done using HZETRN and PDOSE, which are well-known and widely used models for characterizing the environments for human exploratory missions. There is disagreement when assessing the impact of secondary radiation particles since SPENVIS does a crude estimation of the secondary radiation particles when calculating LET versus Flux. SPENVIS was used to model dose-depth relations for the blood-forming organs. Radiation sickness and cancer are life-threatening consequences resulting from radiation exposure. In space. exposure to radiation generally includes all of the critical organs. Biological and toxicological impacts have been included for discussion along with alternative risk mitigation methods--shielding and anti-carcinogens.     

地球内辐射带核心区环境特征分析及质子屏蔽的蒙特卡罗模拟

辐射带粒子是近地空间卫星总剂量辐射的主要来源。文章分析了内辐射带不同高度轨道的辐射环境特性;并利用Geant4程序,针对内辐射带质子环境进行不同材料的屏蔽效能计算。结果表明:虽然传统的低?高?低原子序数材料三明治屏蔽结构对电子具有较高的屏蔽效能,却并不适用于以质子环境为主的轨道;对于工作在3000 km圆轨道、5年寿命的卫星,若要将总剂量降至30 krad(Si)以下,使用PE屏蔽材料可比Al屏蔽减重28%。     

Optimization of radiation exposures during extravehicular activity using the effect of the West-East asymmetry of the fluxes of trapped protons

To estimate the protective properties of a space suit against cosmic radiation the dose rates were calculated for extravehicular activity in the ISS orbit for a number of representative points of critical organs of the human body. The screening functions of the Orlan-M space suit obtained by the authors earlier are used in the calculations. In addition, the effect of East-West asymmetry of the fluxes of high-energy protons trapped by the geomagnetic field is taken into account. It is shown that during passages through the South Atlantic Anomaly, choosing the optimal orientation of astronauts in relation to the cardinal directions, one can achieve for the most critical body organs a dose rate reduction by a factor of ∼1.5–1.8 (in the maximum of solar activity) and by a factor of ∼2–2.5 (in the solar activity minimum). The obtained results can serve for obtaining more accurate estimation of radiation risk for astronauts working in the Orlan-M space suit in the near-terrestrial orbits and for elaborating practical recommendations to reduce their radiation exposures.     

一种综合式载人月球基地总体方案及建造规划设想

构建载人月球基地是实现对月球资源深度开发和利用的重要手段之一,文章提出了刚性舱、刚性＋柔性结构以及建造式等三种典型结构的载人月球基地方案,并对三种典型方案的优缺点进行对比分析,在此基础上提出了一种综合式载人月球基地方案设想,基地内部主体创新性地采用充气式柔性连接的方式,外部主体包括月壤防护层、植物密封舱和应急救生飞船,活动系统包括月球车和月球机器人。围绕该方案并结合文章提出的载人月球基地主要技术指标,并对载人月球基地选址、结构设计和构建、空间辐射防护、热管理、能源、通信与导航、生命保障和应急救生技术等关键技术方案进行了分析,为中国未来建设载人月球基地提供了参考。