Speaker
Description
ESA's European Exploration Strategy (Explore 2040) establishes goals oriented to cover destinations from low-Earth orbit to the Moon and on to Mars. One characteristic of the strategy is to enhance European leadership in key areas leveraging European expertise as a pathway to European self-determination whilst remaining a preferred partner for international cooperation. Science and enabling technologies are central to this aim as being transversal to all destinations. Two flavours of scientific investigations are foreseen: exploration-enabled science, fundamental or applied research led by the broader scientific community but taking advantage of ESA's exploration infrastructure, and exploration-focused science driven by programmatic needs.
Radiation science is of interest from a fundamental science perspective whilst being a critical area of exploration-focused science which is divided into four high-level key scientific goals addressing: Environments & Effects, Local Resources, Habitation, and Crew Health & Performance.
Radiation is a key component of the local environment, it is therefore important to understand the physical processes generating the local radiation field, how these environments will affect human and robotic activities and vice versa. The local surface materials and proposed habitation will impact the radiation field characteristics and constitute important inputs into simulations. Radiation-associated health risks are one of the critical aspects which may impact astronaut crew health and performance. Physical, chemical and biological understanding of the related processes in the human body is therefore important as is research into possible countermeasures to mitigate related effects.
This presentation provides an overview of radiation science for exploration as foreseen within Explore 2040. This includes:
- the specification and forecasting of the primary radiation environment focussed on solar energetic particles and galactic cosmic rays;
- the moderation of the radiation field by planetary surfaces and the Martian atmosphere;
- transport of radiation through spacecraft shielding and the effectiveness of different materials in moderating the radiation field;
- computation of dose quantities including human-specific doses and simulations of radiation effects in human biology;
- assessment on the risks of such radiation to humans;
- possible countermeasures to mitigate the effects of radiation.
It will also include requirements for in-space radiation measurements and ground-based facilities and the extent to which they are addressed with current and planned capabilities. Finally, the presentation will include details on the ongoing formulation of an exploration-specific radiation science roadmap to coordinate, direct, and harmonise efforts in this area in Europe to make best use of the resources and significant expertise available.
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