Conceptual Design of Active Radiation Shield for Human Space Missions

Radiation is the most dangerous hazard factor for humans in space. Affordable radiation protection is an essential action item to be resolved prior to the implementation of future piloted astronautics. Without acceptable radiation protection, the exploration and colonisation of space will be impossible. Passive shields, which function primarily through material thickness, offer limited effectiveness in mitigating radiation exposure. For instance, a shielding layer with a thickness of five to seven centimetres is capable of attenuating only approximately 30–35% of incident radiation [2]. It is definitely not sufficient for a long-term piloted mission to even the nearest planet, such as Mars or even the Moon. Currently developed active radiation protection technologies are tremendously heavy and expensive. The criteria for successful space radiation protection are to provide a radiation environment no worse than at the International Space Station, where the radiation environment is proven to be safe enough for long-term presence in space. The proposed work introduces an attempt to find the most efficient active space radiation protection technology mitigating space radiation to a level acceptable for long-term piloted space missions. The objectives of this work can be expressed as follows: (1) design radiation shielding concept considering technologies that are available nowadays and (2) estimate theoretical effectiveness of such radiation protection concept. The work presents the study results of an active space radiation protection concept based on research into magnesium diboride usage in a racetrack configuration. The thesis introduces the results of mathematical modelling of space radiation protection technologies targeted to analyse and select the most affordable configuration of the system in question, demonstrating acceptable performance, mass, and cost. Based on this modelling, a proposal has been formulated for space radiation protection of a piloted mission to Mars. The study results can be used for future piloted space missions not only to the Moon or Mars but also for any interplanetary piloted mission. This concept can also be used for space radiation protection of any habitable facility on the Moon or Mars surface within the framework of space research programs currently under development.