WASHINGTON : With the help of mannequins named Helga and Zohar and sensors placed inside a spacecraft, scientists have collected valuable data about radiation exposure for astronauts outside Earth’s sheltering magnetic field and gained insights on how to better protect them in long space journeys like one to Mars.
Researchers have released initial measurements of radiation levels experienced inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft during its 25-day uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022 around the moon and back to Earth. Continuous radiation data was obtained using instruments including NASA’s HERA and the European Space Agency’s EAD sensors.
The danger posed by radiation is a major concern that must be addressed if astronauts are to carry out long-term missions beyond Earth’s orbit. The Artemis program aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface this decade and establish a base there as a prelude to future human exploration of Mars.
Sources such as galactic cosmic rays and particles shot through space during solar flares may place astronauts at high risk for radiation sickness, increased lifetime cancer risk, central nervous system issues and degenerative diseases.
Helga and Zohar, designed to represent human female bodies, were in the Orion capsule as stand-ins for astronauts, with built-in sensors measuring radiation exposure for their skin and internal organs. Zohar donned a radiation protection vest. Helga wore no protection.
“Helga and Zohar are ‘radiation phantoms’ – sophisticated mannequins that mimic the human body’s response to radiation, equipped with sensors throughout to measure dose rates across various organs,” said physicist Stuart George of the Space Radiation Analysis Group at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, one of the authors of the study published in the journal Nature.
“These phantoms were designed to represent female bodies, as women typically have a higher sensitivity to radiation than men. The data collected from these phantoms provided valuable insights into how
