Re: Article from space.com -- "Deadly Radiation Spurs Life"

[Scott D Kniffin <Scott.D.Kniffin.1@gsfc.nasa.gov>]

Jim, 

What this poor reporter is probably using as a reference was a NASA press
release from the recent flybys.  The press release was in typical NASA
tekie speak and referred to the radiation belts around Jupiter that are
much the same as our Van Allen Belts, just a whole lot stronger.  In this
case, the dose received by the Galileo space craft in each flyby would be
fatal to a human.  If you saw/read all the reports, it was almost fatal to
the spacecraft; one instrument is still having problems and the main solid
state memory module has some neat glitches that ground controllers had to
program around.  I'd have to go searching to get the exact dose (I get
around 15 NASA briefs/day) but it was definitely in the human lethal range
(on the order of 100's of rads of high LET).  If I can find it, I'll post
it.  

Scott Kniffin

RSO Unisys Federal Systems, Lanham, MD
CHO Radiation Effects Facility, GSFC, NASA
mailto:Scott.D.Kniffin.1@gsfc.nasa.gov

The opinions expressed here are my own. They do not necessarily represent
the views of Unisys or NASA.  This material has not been reviewed by my
manager or NASA.  

At 09:07 01/27/00 -0600, you wrote:
>RADSAFER's, RAD RAPper's, etc.
>I ran across the following article (a portion
>of which is copied below) at the
>space.com web site this morning while
>doing my daily news search ... does
>anyone else see find the juxtaposition of
>"deadly radiation" and "providing fuel for
>life" kind of odd? Guess the press can't
>just use the word "radiation" without
>prefacing it with "deadly".
>
>The URL for the full article is:
>http://www.space.com/science/solarsystem/europa_life_000126.html
>Jim Hardeman, Manager
>Environmental Radiation Program
>Environmental Protection Division
>Georgia Department of Natural Resources
>4244 International Parkway, Suite 114
>Atlanta, GA 30354
>(404) 362-2675  fax: (404) 362-2653
>Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us
>
>==========
>
>Jupiter's Deadly Radiation Could
>Power Life On Europa
>
>Scientists Look to Jupiter's Moon for
>Possible Life 
>
>In the search for microbial life on Jupiter's
>icy moon Europa, a new idea has
>emerged, suggesting that heavy doses of
>lethal radiation surrounding the massive
>planet might spur chemical reactions on its
>tiny satellite, providing fuel for life in the
>suspected liquid ocean below.

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