NUSES is a space mission proposed and coordinated by the Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) in collaboration with INFN, several academic institutions, and Thales Alenia Space Italy (TAS-I). It comprises two key scientific instruments, known as Ziré and Terzina. Ziré is designed to measure the energy spectra of electrons, protons, and light nuclei up to about 300 MeV with the aim of studying...
Composite materials provide an alluring alternative for radiation shielding in mass-sensitive environments such as spaceborne applications. The typical design flow starts with selecting key materials for the composite, determining the environment where it would be used, use some computer program, like Spenvis to determine the typical radiation spectra and use energy-transport programs, like...
The high-energy particle composition below approximately 10 g/cm^2 of spacecraft and instrument material has been studied as a function of solar activity with galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles (SEPs) by using the images of the Metis coronagraph on board Solar Orbiter in the years 2020-2024.
A visual analysis of cosmic-ray matrices obtained with an algorithm implemented in...
Space radiation is one of the major showstoppers for the human exploration of the Solar System. Astronauts and mission-critical electronic devices are constantly exposed to highly energetic particles coming from deep space and the Sun, namely Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) and Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs). Therefore, it is of paramount importance to study and characterize the possible effects...
We are developing at the SIS18 synchrotron at GSI (Darmstadt, DE) a new Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR) simulator to reproduce the space radiation environment on ground. The measurement and validation of the resulting radiation field is a major challenge due to its high complexity in terms of both particle population and broad energy distribution. One tool for studying mixed radiation fields,...
Materials to be deployed in space applications have to undergo a variety of different test scenarios, simulating actual space conditions. Among these materials solar photovoltaic cells, optics, meta-materials and more will be directly exposed to space radiation and must be tested accordingly. From the design phase of such target materials to the final production, it is important to obtain...
MRADSIM is an innovative modular software toolkit developed to simulate the effects of radiation on electronic components, human beings and materials. It has innovative features to increase parametric precision and to decrease computing time while adding additional functions to perform modular calculations specific for a range of applications. MRADSIM will be the first simulation toolkit using...
GEANT4 is more and more used to model space environment effects on space systems. New and extended needs recently appeared with new missions, like for instance in 3D internal charging analysis or in the prediction of the Single Events Effects (SEE/SEU) in electronic devices. And radiations analysis, in its general terms, combine different processes and should be seen as a whole. To ease...
FASTRAD is a software dedicated to the assessment of radiation effects in space. It is conceived, developed and distributed by TRAD. It contains various tools including modeling, calculation (with GEANT4 physics-based Monte-Carlo and Ray-tracing methods) and post-processing tools. We present here the main functionalities available to design, study and optimize the shielding in the scope of...
Multilayer radiation shielding is only effective if it is optimised for the specific radiation environment in which it is used. Even though the parameter space of possible multilayer radiation shielding configurations is infinite, it can be systematically explored by simulating all permutations of pre-selected materials in layers of equal mass. Using the Geometry Description Markup Language...
The interactions of galactic cosmic and solar energetic particle radiation with planetary atmospheres and surface regolith/bedrock may lead to significant modification to the local surface particle field due to the attenuation of the primary radiation and secondary particle production in the materials. This paper introduces a new Geant4-based tool, GRAPPA, that generates GDML geometries and...
This work will target the current challenges of radiation shielding in space through the lens of modern materials science, focusing on the development and optimization of novel shielding materials. We will examine innovative solutions such as tungsten composites, tungsten-based nonporous structures, advanced aluminium alloys, and high-temperature ceramics as potential shielding materials...
The new age of space has given rise to many technological advancements in spacecraft design and manufacturing. A primary example is the space industry's migration from Aluminium to lightweight composite materials such as carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRPs). However, limited information exists that explicitly assesses the radiation shielding performance in low earth orbit (LEO) of these...
The pursuit of ‘Active shielding’, whether magnetic or electrostatic, has often felt like chasing a mirage. However, the effectiveness of magnetospheres on Earth hints at a viable path forward. Complex engineering proposals to safeguard spacecraft or lunar bases have consistently encountered obstacles: heavy hardware, demanding power requirements, and disruptive effects on other systems. These...
With constant evolutions in materials composition due to regulation, geo-political issues or innovation, materials resistance under radiation is still an important chapter in materials qualification. With the cost and duration issues, rationale to perform or not testing is weighted carefully. On the other hand, with more stringent mission and extended mission duration, an adequate approach in...
As a response to an ESA call a contracted R&D activity is running with ambition to develop new efficient, lightweight radiation shielding solution for electronic components on GEO telecommunication satellites. Based on physical understanding of interactions of different kind of radiations with different target materials our idea is to use optimized combination of low and high Z materials...
It is well known that space radiation environment, which has contributions from galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), solar energetic particles (SEPs), and the trapped particles within the Van Allen belts, directly influences space systems. These systems rely on complex and fragile electronic devices, which, as a consequence of the action of the radiation and its related phenomena: total ionizing dose...
Developing and studying radiation protection shielding solutions is of paramount importance as enabling technologies for manned exploration missions beyond Low Earth orbit (LEO). As astronauts venture further into space, they face increased exposure to space radiation, which poses significant health risks.
Thales Alenia Space (TAS), a leading space technology company, has been and is...
The ROSSINI (Radiation Shielding by ISRU and Innovative Materials for EVA, Vehicles, and Habitats) projects, funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), were dedicated to investigating innovative shielding techniques for deep space and planetary manned exploration missions. Several passive shielding material solutions were studied, manufactured and tested during the projects evolution,...
Deep-space radiation is among the biggest hindrances to human space exploration. Therefore, radiation protection in space is a very active field of research. Despite its limitations, passive shielding is currently the most promising radiation protection strategy. It consists of adding shielding material to the walls of spacecrafts and planetary bases. Throughout the ESA-funded ROSSINI3 and...
Preparing for human exploration on Mars is a challenging task when it comes to shielding from cosmic radiation for inevitable long-term stays. The equivalent dose at the surface – 0.64 mSv/day in average measured by the Curiosity rover [1] – combined with the dose received while in transit can amount to a value higher than the limit established for the entire career of an astronaut (1 Sv [2])....
In a recently completed ESA activity, the collaborating parties aimed at developing efficient lightweight radiation shielding materials for manned deep space missions focusing especially on Moon orbiting and Lunar landing missions. Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) from protons to uranium ions at solar maximum and solar minimum as well as protons from selected historic extreme solar particle events...
