How Orion Protects Astronauts from Radiation

A group of experts in health and technology has determined that astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft will have adequate protection from radiation during the upcoming Artemis II mission, which is planned to travel to the moon and back next year.

Their findings, published in Nature, come from analyzing data collected by sensors placed both inside and outside the Orion spacecraft during two moon flybys in the Artemis I mission of 2022. They also studied radiation data from spacesuits worn by two dummy passengers on that mission.

The Artemis II mission aims to send four astronauts around the moon aboard Orion, conducting a flyby before returning to Earth. The earlier Artemis I mission, with dummies instead of humans, was designed to assess the safety of crewed space travel, with particular focus on radiation exposure from both solar and cosmic sources.

Radiation sensors were placed in various locations throughout the spacecraft and in the spacesuits, including a special protective vest worn by one of the dummies, to measure potential radiation exposure levels for future astronauts.

The analysis showed that the spacecraft’s design provides more than sufficient radiation protection for upcoming missions. The team also found that adjusting the spacecraft’s orientation while crossing the Van Allen belts could reduce radiation exposure by up to 50%.

Furthermore, the study revealed that some areas of the spacecraft offer much more protection than others, with the safest zones receiving four times less radiation than the most exposed ones. This suggests astronauts could be directed to these well-shielded sections during intense solar activity for enhanced protection.