MC Dorbecker
University of Colorado, Boulder
As the focus of space exploration continues to shift in favor of sending humans on missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), it becomes increasingly important to address several concerns regarding the space radiation environment. In particular, radiation poses a high risk of damage to astronaut health, which can have negative impacts on long-duration missions. It is also difficult to determine the risk of damage from radiation due to lack of sufficient data; not many humans have actually been beyond LEO so the effects are less well characterized. In their Technology Roadmaps, NASA has identified a need for a tool that reduces the risk uncertainty in radiation mortality models as well as in performance degradation models. In addition, there is a need to look at radiation degradation in the context of other spaceflight stressors, such as microgravity. This doctoral research project proposes to create a framework and subsequent model that evaluates mortality risk and performance degradation of crew members as a result of radiation and other spaceflight stressors.