Refuge Sphere: A Superconducting Double-Sphere Radiation Shelter for Interplanetary Crewed Missions — Technical Engineering Document v8.0b
This document presents the complete technical engineering specification for the Refuge Sphere, a radiation protection module for crewed interplanetary spacecraft. The system exploits the Meissner effect in a closed YBCO superconducting sphere to achieve B = 0 internal magnetic field, combined with multilayer passive shielding (HDPE, borated polyethylene, Whipple) and an inner aluminum Faraday cage (E = 0). Includes full system description, magnetic system design, energy budget, radiation shielding calculations, mass budget, operational modes, FMEA, V&V plan, production specifications, and in-orbit testing procedures. Protection factor > 1,000× against SPE class-X events. Total system mass ~12,250 kg. See also: abstract DOI 10.5281/zenodo.19690549.
Authors
- Enrico Titimali
Publication Details
- Journal
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Published
- 2026-04-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19712649
- Primary Topic
- Spacecraft and Cryogenic Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00