Radiation In Space Research Paper

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Radiation in Space When astronauts make any type of journey into space, especially any type of journey that involves being close to the sun, they must be aware of the constant danger that the sun poses in terms of radiation. This danger becomes much more significant with long-term missions, and this applies to potential long-term missions to Mars. Before astronauts are sent to the red planet, the risks associated with radiation exposure must be analyzed and solved. There are many dangers in space, and the danger of radiation is one of the very significant dangers that will need to be overcome in order to make any kind of space travel safer. In order to understand the dangers that radiation poses to astronauts, it is important to analyze …show more content…
When the subatomic particles (radiation) hits the human body, they can break through DNA molecules, which can damage them and cause them to have errors for cell reproduction (Tate). Radiation exposure can be either acute or chronic. Acute radiation occurs with high doses in a short time period, while chronic radiation comes with low levels for a long period of time. Both types of radiation can lead to cancer or other illnesses, while acute radiation can also lead to radiation sickness (Frazier). Therefore, there is the constant threat of both acute and chronic radiation in space which astronauts need to be careful of. Both types of radiation, those from the sun and those from other sources, are harmful to astronauts in space, and can cause the side effects associated with too much radiation exposure. However, radiation from the sun and radiation from other sources can cause different types of problems. Radiation from the sun comes in two different ways. There is a constant supply of particles that come from the sun, and there are also sudden bursts of particles which come from such phenomena as …show more content…
In order to understand the risks associated with radiation, it is important to know how much radiation exposure astronauts can expect when they are sent on long-term missions to Mars, and what that radiation exposure means for the human body. Radiation exposure is measured in Sieverts, and one Sievert is said to increase the risk for fatal cancers by 5.5% (Tate). While on its journey to Mars, the Mars rover measured 0.66 Sievert, which not an insignificant increase in the risk for developing fatal cancers (Tate). The dose of radiation that astronauts are exposed to depends on what environment they are in. There are different ways and levels of protection from harmful radiation that exist. On the Earth, for example, the magnetic field which surrounds the Earth protects us from almost all of the radiation that comes through space (Frazier). The remaining amount of radiation that does make it through is mostly absorbed by the atmosphere, and so people on Earth are typically exposed to about 0.00001 Sievert (Tate). Those working in the International Space Station are also mostly protected by Earth’s magnetic field because they are in a shallow orbit within the magnetic field, and measurements indicate that they are exposed to levels of radiation that are below the limits established by NASA (Frazier). Places such as the moon do not have a magnetic field, and neither does Mars. The
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