[ RadSafe ] Space Travel Risks from Radiation

[Doss, Mohan]

Dear All,
    The mistake of this study is that they gave the mice in less than a minute the radiation dose the astronauts would receive in a few years. This would be fine if our body did not respond to the stresses and damages it notices. Our body does respond to the damages it notices, repairing the damages and upping the defenses, which would protect it from future similar damages as well as from naturally occurring damages. Giving radiation dose to mice in a short time does not allow these defensive actions to occur.
    Giving the 2-3 years worth of radiation dose in less than a minute is like studying the effect of daily use of a sleeping pill, by giving several hundred sleeping pills at the same time. This is not a realistic way of determining the effect of taking a single sleeping pill every day.
    In view of this, the extension of the reported study's conclusion to astronauts is questionable.  We should wait for proper studies with long-term irradiation to be completed, before drawing a conclusion.
    With best regards,
                                              Mohan
-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Brennan, Mike (DOH)
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2015 12:10 PM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Space Travel Risks from Radiation

I like that the Wall Street Journal pays attention to science issues.  

I think the solution to the radiation problem between here and Mars is, in part, a space elevator.  If you decrease the cost of launch you can increase the mass you send, which means you can send more shielding.  

Alternatively, you can make shield that astronauts can wear on their heads.  Nice lead ones would be particularly stylish. 

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of H.Estabrooks at cns.doe.gov
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2015 7:15 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List (radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu)
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Space Travel Risks from Radiation

This from the WSJ:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/study-deep-space-radiation-could-damage-astronauts-brains-1430503356

A little confusing.  I thought the end of the paragraph that starts "to test the neural effects" was referring to residents of Colorado.  ;-)

Bates Estabrooks
Y-12 NSC
Radiological Control Engineer

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