European Space Radiation Shielding Workshop 2026

Session

Human Spaceflight and Exploration

17 Jun 2026, 14:35

ESCAPE Tennis Hall (ESA / ESTEC)

33. EGIS: Progress Towards Active Plasma-Based Radiation Shielding for Human Space Exploration

Ruth Bamford (STFC RAL Space)

17/06/2026, 14:35

Full length presentation (~20 mins)

Future human exploration missions beyond Low Earth Orbit will expose astronauts to elevated radiation risks from Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) and Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events. Conventional passive shielding becomes increasingly mass-prohibitive for long-duration missions, motivating investigation of active shielding approaches.

The ESA's AEGIS (Active Electromagnetically Generated...

30. Extrusion additive manufacturing of water-clay systems for radiation shielding on Mars

Marc Littkopf (TU Berlin)

17/06/2026, 15:00

Short pitch (max 5 mins)

The development of infrastructure on Mars is essential in future crewed missions, where ISRU will play a key role in sustainable sourcing. Here, we examine the feasibility and efficiency of robotic construction via extrusion additive manufacturing (eAM) using site-specific Mars regolith simulants. We simulate Martian atmosphere conditions and develop an eAM process that works therein. A...

23. Thales Alenia Space’s activities on Radiation Shielding Solutions for Human Spaceflight

Luca Bocchini (Thales Alenia Space)

17/06/2026, 15:10

The development and study of radiation protection shielding solutions are essential technologies for manned exploration missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO). As astronauts venture further into deep space, they encounter increased exposure to space radiation, which presents significant health risks.
Thales Alenia Space (TAS) is actively engaged in multiple projects and studies focused on...

26. Radiation Protection for Martian Habitats Using Water Ice in Inflatable Structure

Pam Graham (Space Oasis Delft)

17/06/2026, 15:35

Short pitch (max 5 mins)

Robust, lightweight, and resource efficient radiation shielding is necessary for long duration missions to Mars to protect astronauts from galactic cosmic rays and solar particle events. This research explores the possibility of using water ice as a primary shielding material integrated into an inflatable structure. Ice offers benefits, such as the potential for in-situ resource utilization...

4. Multifunctional composites for space radiation shielding

Ruggero Volponi (CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre)

17/06/2026, 16:15

Full length presentation (~20 mins)

The Italian Aerospace Research Centre is developing a functionalized, multilayer composite to mitigate lunar radiation exposure while meeting long-term habitation structural needs. Space radiation is the principal health risk for astronauts on extended missions, dominated beyond Earth’s magnetic field by Solar Particle Events (SPEs) and Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs). Shielding efficiency...

17. From Metals to Multilayer Composites: A Material Comparison for Deep-Space Radiation Shielding

Christoph Frühwirth (Technical University Leoben)

17/06/2026, 16:40

Short pitch (max 5 mins)

Selecting structural radiation shielding materials for deep-space missions requires simultaneous evaluation of the total effective radiation dose to the mission crew as well as critical components, including highly energetic protons, secondary neutrons and secondary gamma radiation, alongside key mechanical parameters and areal densities. This work presents an Ashby-map-based material...

6. Evaluating the Radiation Shielding Capabilities and Constraints of Microbial Melanin: Evidence from Heavy Ion and X-ray Experiments

Dr Katharina Runzheimer (German Aerospace Centre), Stefan Leuko (German Aerospace Centre)

17/06/2026, 16:55

Full length presentation (~20 mins)

Ionizing radiation is a key limitation for long-duration space missions, as traditional shielding materials are cost inefficient for missions with strict mass constraints, especially for future exploration scenarios such as sustained lunar missions and beyond. Additionally, while widely used shielding materials in space applications like aluminum, titanium, and hydrogen-rich polymers like...

21. Radiation exposure and shielding effects on the lunar surface

Dr Daniel Matthiä (Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Linder Höhe, Köln, Germany)

17/06/2026, 17:20

Short pitch (max 5 mins)

Exploration of the Moon is a primary target for human space flight in the near future. A limiting factor for crewed missions is the radiation exposure of the astronauts on the lunar surface. While the total dose for extended missions is expected to be dominated by the galactic cosmic radiation, the potential occurrence of large solar energetic particle events may lead to severe short-term...