The Safe Room for Deep-Space Mission

Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) pose a significant radiation hazard for an 800-day Mars mission, exposing astronauts to approximately 1.2Sv, exceeding NASA’s career dose limits and increasing risks of cancer, cognitive impairment, and cardiovascular disease. Conventional shielding methods incur high mass and power penalties. The “Safe Room” is a lightweight, modular radiation refuge for sleep and high-radiation events. Two designs are evaluated: multilayered (58kg, 75% GCR dose reduction) with water, hydrogenated boron nitride nanotubes (H-BNNTs), and polyethylene, and integrated (56kg, 72% reduction) with a composite shield. PHITS simulations estimate sleeponly doses of 830(10)mSv–840(10)mSv (multilayered) and 834(10)mSv–844(10)mSv (integrated), and full-time doses of 80(5)mSv–100(5)mSv and 89.6(5)mSv–112(5)mSv, respectively. Both mitigate <50MeV solar particle events (SPEs) to 5mSv to 7.5mSv. The modular design ensures easy assembly and spacecraft integration. At Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2–3, this concept seeks collaboration for validation and deployment by the 2030s.