Detecting radiation on lunar and Mars missions

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Astronauts on lunar and Mars missions will need to continually assess their radiation risk and exposure. The faculty and midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy (USNA) are developing a small device to do exactly that, as well as alert crews during high-radiation events.

“Radiation on the moon and on a three-year mission to Mars is dangerous and uncertain. Since the moon and Mars have no atmosphere and no global magnetic field, astronauts will not have the protection from radiation that we have on Earth and in low-Earth orbit,” said Dr. Vince Pisacane, a researcher on the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI)’s Technology Development Team. “Travel away from the Earth’s surface makes it essential to monitor the types and levels of radiation exposure.”

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