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Analytic Shielding Optimization to Reduce Crew Exposure to Ionizing Radiation Inside Space VehiclesA sustainable lunar architecture provides capabilities for leveraging out-of-service components for alternate uses. Discarded architecture elements may be used to provide ionizing radiation shielding to the crew habitat in case of a Solar Particle Event. The specific location relative to the vehicle where the additional shielding mass is placed, as corroborated with particularities of the vehicle design, has a large influence on protection gain. This effect is caused by the exponential- like decrease of radiation exposure with shielding mass thickness, which in turn determines that the most benefit from a given amount of shielding mass is obtained by placing it so that it preferentially augments protection in under-shielded areas of the vehicle exposed to the radiation environment. A novel analytic technique to derive an optimal shielding configuration was developed by Lockheed Martin during Design Analysis Cycle 3 (DAC-3) of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). [1] Based on a detailed Computer Aided Design (CAD) model of the vehicle including a specific crew positioning scenario, a set of under-shielded vehicle regions can be identified as candidates for placement of additional shielding. Analytic tools are available to allow capturing an idealized supplemental shielding distribution in the CAD environment, which in turn is used as a reference for deriving a realistic shielding configuration from available vehicle components. While the analysis referenced in this communication applies particularly to the Orion vehicle, the general method can be applied to a large range of space exploration vehicles, including but not limited to lunar and Mars architecture components. In addition, the method can be immediately applied for optimization of radiation shielding provided to sensitive electronic components.
Document ID
20090035371
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Extended Abstract
Authors
Gaza, Razvan (Lockheed Martin Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Cooper, Tim P. (Lockheed Martin Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Hanzo, Arthur (Lockheed Martin Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Hussein, Hesham (Lockheed Martin Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Jarvis, Kandy S. (Lockheed Martin Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Kimble, Ryan (Lockheed Martin Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Lee, Kerry T. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Patel, Chirag (Lockheed Martin Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Reddell, Brandon D. (Lockheed Martin Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Stoffle, Nicholas (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Zapp, E. Neal (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Shelfer, Tad D. (Lockheed Martin Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2009
Subject Category
Space Radiation
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-18881
JSC-CN-19157
Meeting Information
Meeting: Annual Meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis
Location: Houston, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: November 16, 2009
End Date: November 19, 2009
Sponsors: Universities Space Research Association
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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