Overview of the Martian radiation environment experiment

Journal Article · Wed Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 2004 · Advances in Space Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0273-1177(03)00514-3· OSTI ID:881738

Zeitlin, C; Cleghorn, T F; Cucinotta, F A; Saganti, P; Andersen, V; Lee, K T; Pinsky, L S; Atwell, W; Turner, R; Badhwar, G

Space radiation presents a hazard to astronauts, particularly those journeying outside the protective influence of the geomagnetosphere. Crews on future missions to Mars will be exposed to the harsh radiation environment of deep space during the transit between Earth and Mars. Once on Mars, they will encounter radiation that is only slightly reduced, compared to free space, by the thin Martian atmosphere. NASA is obliged to minimize, where possible, the radiation exposures received by astronauts. Thus, as a precursor to eventual human exploration, it is necessary to measure the Martian radiation environment in detail. The MARIE experiment, aboard the 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, is returning the first data that bear directly on this problem. Here we provide an overview of the experiment, including introductory material on space radiation and radiation dosimetry, a description of the detector, model predictions of the radiation environment at Mars, and preliminary dose-rate data obtained at Mars.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley NationalLaboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Director, Office of Science; National Aeronautics andSpace Administration
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 881738
• Report Number(s): LBNL--58596; BnR: 400409900
• Journal Information: Advances in Space Research, Journal Name: Advances in Space Research Vol. 33
• Publisher: Elsevier, Netherlands
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ASTRONAUTS
DOSIMETRY
EXPLORATION
NASA
PRECURSOR
RADIATIONS
space radiation Mars MARIE Odyssey