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Matroshka - 2: Measuring Radiation Hazards in Space (MTR-2)
02.13.09

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Images

Experiment/Payload Overview

Brief Summary

Matroshka-2 (MTR-2) will measure the radiation dose distribution of crewmembers inside the International Space Station (ISS). Matroshka-2 combined with data from Matroshka-1 will allow the comparison of skin and depth dose measurements performed with the same facility inside and outside the ISS. The results will give the radiation dose distribution inside a human phantom torso for a better correlation between skin and organ dose and for better risk assessment in future long duration space flight.

Principal Investigator

  • Guenter Reitz, Ph.D., German Aerospace Center, Cologne, Germany

    • Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

  • Denis O'Sullivan, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Dublin, Ireland
  • Yukio Uchihori, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan
  • Akio Nagamatsu, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba, Japan
  • Eric Benton, Eril Research Incorporated, Richmond, CA
  • Stephen McKeever, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
  • Norbert Vana, Atominstitute of the Austrian Universities, Vienna Austria
  • Jack Miller, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
  • Cary Zeitlin, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
  • Francis Cucinotta, Ph.D., Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
  • Mark Weyland, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
  • David Bartlett, National Radiological Protection Board, Chilton, United Kingdom
  • Joe Palfalvi, Atomic Energy Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary
  • Pawel Olko, Institute for Nuclear Physics, Krakow, Poland
  • Pawel Bilski, Institute for Nuclear Physics, Krakow, Poland
  • Vladislav Petrov, Institute for Biomedical Problems, Moscow, Russia
  • Vyacheslav Shurshakov, Institute for Biomedical Problems, Moscow, Russia
  • Yury Akatov, Institute for Biomedical Problems, Moscow, Russia
  • Marlies Luszik-Bhadra, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig, Germany
  • Rudolf Beaujean, Christian-Albrechts-Universitaet Kiel, Kiel, Germany

    • Payload Developer

    European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
    German Aerospace Center, Cologne, Germany

    Sponsoring Agency

    European Space Agency (ESA)

    Expeditions Assigned

    |12|13|14|15|16|17|18|

    Previous ISS Missions

    MTR-2 is a continuation of the MTR-1 investigation which began on ISS Expedition 8.

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    Experiment/Payload Description

    Research Summary

    • Institutions from around the world are involved in Matroshka-2 (MTR-2). Like Matroshka-1, MTR-2 uses the mannequin of a human torso, fashioned from plastic, foam and a real human skeleton.


    • The MTR-2 torso is equipped with dozens of radiation sensors that are placed in strategic locations throughout its surface and interior to measure how susceptible different organs and tissue may be to radiation damage experienced by crewmembers in space. The unique design of the MTR-2 investigation provided data collection of radiation doses at differing depths of the MTR-2 mannequin.


    • This research is critical to understanding how to protect crewmembers from radiation as they spend long durations in space on board the International Space Station (ISS), or on a possible journey to the Moon and Mars.

    Description

    The scientific objective of the experiment is the investigation of the dynamics of the radiation dose accumulated in various parts of an Astronaut simulator and tissue-equivalent anthropomorphous phantom. The purpose is to improve space dosimetry methods, and evaluate the radiation hazard of astronauts' exposure to radiation. The Matroshka (MTR) facility was launched by the Russian Progress Cargo Vehicle and installed by EVA on the outside of the Russian Service Module of the International Space Station during Increment 9. A second EVA during Increment 12 will bring the facility inside the station, where all the passive sensors will be removed from within the anthropomorphous phantom, and prepare the sensors for download.

    The Matroshka facility basically consists of a human phantom upper torso equipped with several active and passive radiation dosimeters, a Base Structure and a Container. The container as well as the phantom torso is mounted to the base structure which serves as a footprint for the human phantom. The container is a Carbon Fibre structure and forms with the Base Structure a closed volume that contains a dry oxygen atmosphere at ambient pressure.

    Matroshka-2 (MTR-2) involves retrieval of the Phantom, exchange of passive dosimeters, and stowage for 1 year inside the ISS.

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    Applications

    Space Applications

    Information Pending

    Earth Applications

    Information Pending

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    Operations

    Operational Requirements

    Information Pending

    Operational Protocols

    Crewmembers disassemble the Matroshka mannequin prior to each phase of MTR-2. The old dosimeters and sensors are removed from the mannequin and stored for return to Earth for analysis. New dosimeters and sensors are placed within the mannequin before placing the mannequin in the designated location: Phase A - Pirs Docking Compartment; Phase B - Service Module; Phase C - Outside of ISS.

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    Results/More Information

    Information Pending

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    Related Web Sites
  • DLR- Matroshka

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    Publications

    Results Publications

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      Related Publications

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        Images

        imageNASA Image: ISS012E22710 - Expedition 12 Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev, representing Russia's Federal Space Agency, removes the pressure container from the phantom torso of the Matroshka mannequin as he begins setup of the Matroshka-2 experiment.
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        imageNASA Image: ISS012E22711 - Cosmonaut Valery I. Tokarev, Expedition 12 Flight Engineer representing Russia's Federal Space Agency, works with the European Matroshka-2 experiment in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station. The Matroshka mannequin is a model of a human torso designed for radiation studies. Tokarev is equipping the torso's individual horizontal slice-like layers with 356 thermo luminescent detectors (TLDs) and five nuclear radiation tracking detectors (NTDPs). The mannequin was then to be reassembled, covered with poncho and hood and installed in the Pirs Docking Compartment for studies of on orbit radiation and long-term dose accumulation.
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        Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office
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