Space Mission Radiation Doses

[eh_carbaugh@ccmail.pnl.gov (Eugene H Carbaugh)]

     To:  Franz Schoenhofer & others interested
     
     In 1989 the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements 
     (NCRP) published "Guidance on Radiation Received in Space Activities" 
     as NCRP Report No. 98.  Chapter 4 devotes about 20 pages to the issue 
     actual mission doses based on measurements, and some general 
     scenarios.  Table 4.1 contains data on flight, duration, orbit, 
     mission dose (mGy) and daily dose (mGy) for two Gemini flights, 11 
     Apollo missions, 3 Skylab tours, and the Apollo Soyuz Test Project.  
     The daily doses ranged from 0.11 mGy to 0.86 mGy.  Total mission doses 
     ranged from 0.25 mGy for a 1-day Gemini flight to 77.4 mGy for a 90 
     day Skylab tour.  The highest listed Apllo Mission was Apollo 14 (9 
     days and 11.4 mGy) - however a footnote states that this was a skin 
     dose and the dose to blood forming organs was about 40% lower.
     
     Table 4.3 of the same report lists doses for US space shuttle 
     missions.  Average daily crew doses range from 0.036 mGy to 1.078 
     mGy/d.  The total crew dose for missions shown range from 0.06 to 6.22 
     mSv.
     
     Like most NCRP Reports, there are extensive references.  This is 
     probably the most concise summary I have seen.
     
     Gene Carbaugh
     Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
     eh_carbaugh@pnl.gov