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Astronaut Radiation Limits Urged
Thursday December 9 5:04 PM ET
Astronaut Radiation Limits Urged
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. and Russian astronauts working on the
international space station should limit their exposure to radiation
during intense solar activity, a scientific advisory panel
recommended Thursday.
Plans for construction of the space station by 2004 call for some 43
space shuttle missions and about 1,500 space walks.
This work will coincide with the peak of the 11-year cycle of solar
activity next year, the National Research Council noted in its
report.
The council recommended that the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration take extra precautions to protect astronauts from
potentially dangerous radiation, including seeking additional data on
when solar storms occur so astronauts can be warned.
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are
already cooperating in monitoring the sun's activity.
One satellite, already orbiting a million miles from Earth, will
detect a rise in charged solar particles and give an hour's warning
of dangerous radiation arriving. That warning also would allow
spacewalking astronauts to seek the safety of the shuttle or the
space station.
The council also urged adding radiation exposure meters to spacecraft
as soon as possible to determine the amount of exposure during a
flight.
The council is an arm of the National Academy of Science, which
provides scientific advice to government agencies.
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Sandy Perle Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100
Director, Technical Extension 2306
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division Fax:(714) 668-3149
ICN Biomedicals, Inc. E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net
ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/scperle
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com
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