Irene Schneider returned to The Space Show to discuss cosmic radiation radiation issues and manned spaceflight. In this interview, we talked about radiation on the Moon, Mars, in deep space and on space craft such as the ISS, shuttle, and future space vehicles. Ms. Schneider does a very good job of explaining shielding from Mars, how elevation makes a huge difference, and why radiation exposure on the Moon is the most risky and damaging of all. We talked about shielding with water, dirt and plastic materials. While Ms. Schneider could not specifically address mass, weight, and payload capacity, she did point out some of the misunderstandings about leaving Earth with water or dirt shielding. We spent some time going over the different types of radiation from that in a nuclear power plant, a bomb, cosmic rays and solar particles. By far, the solar particles are the most dangerous and the most lethal, especially over a very short time. We also discussed how the Earth's thick atmosphere combined with our magnetic field shields us from most of the radiation exposure one would fine beyond our atmosphere. If you have follow up questions or comments for Irene Schneider, please send them to me at drspace@thespaceshow.com and I will forward them to her.
Guest
The Space Show
