Introduction to Radiation

Do you remember the last time you were exposed to a dose of radiation? It’s probably not as long ago as you may have thought. We’re not talking about medical X-rays, traveling near a nuclear power plant, or even being near a nuclear powered boat or submarine. You are exposed to many types of radiation every day. Luckily, living on the surface of the Earth you are shielded from the more intense and harmful radiation that exists in space.

One of the challenges of space exploration is protecting the astronauts and their equipment from harmful radiation. The harmful radiation originates from the sun as well as from other galactic sources. The Van Allen belts are an area of trapped radiation. The figure below illustrates how the Van Allen belts are generated.

The Van Allen Radiation Belts consist of trapped energetic charged particles. They are generated when charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth’s magnetic field.

Your team role is that of Radiation Specialist. While working through the assignments, you will learn about the different types of radiation, how it is generated, the health hazard associated with radiation, the damage it can cause to equipment, and how to limit radiation exposure.

The assignments are mostly questions that you will be answering in your notebook . You should keep in mind that what you are learning should also be used in the final team project. Talk with your team members from the start and decide what your contribution will be.