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Radiation

Encyclopedia
Updated Feb 12, 2024

Contents

Introduction

Johnson Space Center (JSC), a world leader in human spaceflight, possesses unique knowledge, skills, and capabilities that can be applied to solving human health and performance challenges in space and here on earth. JSC’s physics, simulation and radiobiology tools allow experts to perform vehicle design and complex shielding assessments in different environments, develop shelter/shielding methods and optimization as well as predict and assess the biological effects of space radiation exposures. Our Radiation Biology Laboratory plays a pivotal role in understanding and addressing the impact of space radiation on astronauts during extended space missions. With expertise in console monitoring, radiation testing logistics, and radiation monitoring and measurements, JSC ensures the safety of human spaceflight operations. This includes round-the-clock solar radiation environment monitoring, active and passive radiation detectors, and the utilization of the International Space Station (ISS) for the development and certification of future exploration-class instrumentation, marking a significant step towards high-fidelity measurements in space exploration. We invite our partners to leverage our expertise in radiation, which is crucial for ensuring the safety and health of astronauts during space missions, offering comprehensive solutions to mitigate the risks associated with extended exposure beyond Earth’s protective atmosphere. 

Capabilities

Radiation Biology Laboratory 

Overview | The Johnson Space Center (JSC) Radiation Biology Laboratory provides analysis of cellular and molecular damages in astronauts due to space radiation exposure after long-duration space missions. 

Details |

  • Perform fluorescence microscopy
  • Perform gamma irradiation
  • Perform analysis of DNA damage including chromosome aberrations RNA/DNA isolation techniques 
  • Perform quantitative polymerase chain reaction 

Radiation Monitoring, Protection and Exposure Analysis 

Overview | The Space Radiation Analysis Group (SRAG) offers many unique capabilities at the intersection of technology development, data analysis, statistics, information technology, health care, and radiation safety. It deals with the resources, devices, and methods required to predict, monitor, and minimize crew radiation exposure. 

Details |

Console Monitoring and Support 

Johnson Space Center (JSC) has more than 50 years of operational spaceflight experience and provides round-the-clock solar radiation environment monitoring for human spaceflight operations support. SRAG also routinely participates in flight rule development; alert warning systems integration; and space weather forecast modeling. These four capabilities will help JSC ensure safe human spaceflight operations in the upcoming exploration missions beyond Low Earth Orbit. 

Radiation Testing and Logistics 

JSC routinely coordinates and conducts radiation instrument measurements at various medical and accelerator facilities around the world. These measurements are used for instrument calibration, algorithm development, requirements verification, and multi-instrument comparisons. 

Radiation Monitoring and Measurements 

JSC has unique expertise and capabilities to assess extreme environment operations, dosimetry, radiation environment measurements, and design and shielding analyses with a very strong reliance on information technology as well as leveraging technology development in radiation detection. JSC offers personal radiation exposure monitoring using personal active detectors. JSC also performs intra- and extra-vehicular radiation environment monitoring and characterization using many passive and active detectors (ranging from micro-dosimeters to charged/neutral particle spectrometers). Currently, JSC is utilizing the International Space Station (ISS) as a development/ certification testbed for future exploration-class instrumentation that will enable high fidelity measurements in simultaneous low mass/low power configurations. 

NASA astronaut and Expedition 67 Flight Engineer Kayla Barron begins her work day inside the International Space Station’s Columbus laboratory module. She gives a “thumbs up” and poses next to the Light Ions Detector that monitors the radiation environment aboard the orbiting lab. 
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide poses with the HiMassSEE (Spacecraft Single Event Environments at High Shielding Mass) kits 1,2,3 and 4 in the U.S. Lab aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Spacecraft Single Event Environments at High Shielding Mass (HiMassSEE) measures space radiation interactions with spacecraft structure and shielding using several passive track detector technologies to provide a more accurate definition of International Space Station (ISS) payload accommodations, radiation transport model validation, and flight demonstration data on advanced microelectronics and chemical dosimeters.

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