Radiation exposure and dose estimates for a nuclear-powered manned Mars SPRINT mission. [Pb; Al; LiH; H d2O]

Conference · Sat Jan 05 00:00:00 EST 1991 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

OSTI ID:5449490

Nealy, J E; Simonsen, L C; Wilson, J W; Townsend, L W ^[1]; Qualls, G D ^[2]; Schnitzler, B G ^[3]; Gates, M M ^[4]

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1. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA (USA)
2. Flight Mechanics Control, Inc., Hampton, VA (USA)
3. Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (USA)
4. University Research Foundation, Greenbelt, MD (USA)

A conceptual manned mission to Mars is analyzed in order to estimate potential ionizing radiation doses that may be incurred by crew members during the course of the mission. The scenario is set for a journey during the solar active period and includes a brief stay on the Martian surface. Propulsion is assumed to be provided by nuclear thermal rocket power, and estimates of the dose contributions from the reactors are included. However, due to effective shielding of the reactors by large propellant tanks, it is found that the incurred doses are principally due to the charged particle natural environment. Recent data (August-December 1989) for large solar proton events are used to simulate the flare environment, while standard models are used for the trapped particle and galactic cosmic ray contributions. Shield effectiveness for several candidate materials are investigated.

• OSTI ID: 5449490
• Report Number(s): CONF-910116-; CODEN: APCPC
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States), Vol. 217:2; Conference: 8. symposium on space nuclear power systems, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 6-10 Jan 1991; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
MARS SPACE PROBES
RADIATION DOSES
ALUMINIUM
COSMIC RADIATION
DOSE RATES
LEAD
LITHIUM HYDRIDES
RADIATION BELTS
SHIELDING
SOLAR FLARES
SOLAR PROTONS
WATER
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
BARYONS
DOSES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
FERMIONS
HADRONS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
METALS
NUCLEONS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROTONS
RADIATIONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR PARTICLES
SOLAR RADIATION
SPACE VEHICLES
STELLAR RADIATION
VEHICLES
655003* - Medical Physics- Dosimetry