Electrostatic Active Radiation Shielding - Revisited

Abstract

For the success of NASA's new vision for space exploration to Moon, Mars and beyond, exposures from the hazards of severe space radiation in deep space long duration missions is 'a must solve' problem The payload penalty demands a very stringent requirement on the design of the spacecrafts for human deep space missions. Langley has developed state-of-the-art radiation protection and shielding technology for space missions. The exploration beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) to enable routine access to space require protection from the hazards of the accumulated exposures of space radiation, galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar particle events (SPE), and minimizing the production of secondary radiation is a great advantage. There is a need to look to new horizons for newer technologies. The present investigation revisits electrostatic active radiation shielding and explores the feasibility of using the electrostatic shielding in concert with the innovative materials shielding and protection technologies. The full space radiation environment has been used for the investigation. The goal is to repel enough positive charge ions so that they miss the spacecraft without attracting thermal electrons. Conclusions are drawn, should the electrostatic shielding be successful, for the future directions of space radiation protection.