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RELEASE NO. 02-025
MEDIA INVITED TO ATTEND
NASA Langley workshop aims to protect space explorers
Protecting astronauts and equipment from potentially harmful
radiation is one of the biggest challenges facing space
exploration. More than 100 scientists and engineers from across the
world will tackle that issue at a Space Radiation Shielding
Technology Workshop, April 3-5 at NASA’s Langley Research
Center. Participants will review advanced technologies for the
design of spacecraft and space habitat radiation shielding.
"We want to be able to develop methods to design spacecraft
which are less vulnerable to space radiation with increased
spacecraft performance. In the past, the shielding of spacecraft
always meant compromising the performance of the vehicle and at a
higher cost," said John W. Wilson, lead researcher for
Langley’s Radiation and Physics Group. "We want to change
that, so that the radiation constraints enter early into the design
process."
One of the objectives of the workshop is to look at the use of
immersive reality and web-based solutions as engineering design
tools for future spacesuits, rovers, transfer vehicle concepts and
other engineering design methods.
Reporters will be able to tour NASA Langley’s Immersive
Design and Simulation Lab, an immersive virtual reality environment
that uses high-performance computing, graphics and audio rendering
to simulate the radiation and acoustic environment of the
International Space Station. In this collaborative virtual
environment, engineers can quickly and effectively determine areas
that can improve for crew safety and comfort.
Photos and interview opportunities are also available.
For photos of the Immersive Design and Simulation Lab, please
click on:
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