Name: European Space Radiation Shielding Workshop 2026
Start: 2026-06-17T09:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-06-18T17:30:00+02:00
Location: ESA / ESTEC

European Space Radiation Shielding Workshop 2026

from Wednesday, 17 June 2026 (09:00) to Thursday, 18 June 2026 (17:30)

Monday, 15 June 2026
Tuesday, 16 June 2026
Wednesday, 17 June 2026

09:00 Welcome
Welcome
09:00 - 09:30
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
09:30 Opening Session - Petteri Nieminen (ESA)
Opening Session
- Petteri Nieminen (ESA)
09:30 - 09:45
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
09:45 Introduction - Julien Eck Giovanni Santin (ESA)
Introduction
- Julien Eck
- Giovanni Santin (ESA)
09:45 - 10:00
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
10:00 Materials Development: Session 1
Session 1
10:00 - 11:05
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
Contributions

10:00 Design and Manufacture of Lightweight Radiation‑Shielding Layers via Cold Spray and Ceramic/Metal‑Filled Epoxy Processing - Florin Duminica (CRM Group) Neophytos Messios (BIRA-IASB) Sebastien Le Craz (CRM Group)

10:25 Geopolymer Radiation Armor as Alternative to Leader Solutions (GRAALS) - Marc Kuntz (RiderPlast) Mathys Peterschmitt (Thales Alenia Space) Pierre Jouanne (Thales Alenia Space) Sylvie Rossignol (IRCER)

10:35 Metal Coated Fibres for Space Radiation Shielding in Composites - Severin Luhr (FibreCoat GmbH) Felix Schmidt (Fibrecoat GmbH)
11:05 Coffee Break
Coffee Break
11:05 - 11:35
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
11:40 Materials Development: Session 2
Session 2
11:40 - 13:00
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
Contributions

11:40 A hydrogen-rich layered core for multifunctional spacecraft sandwich panels: manufacturing feasibility - Tetiana Pittsyk (TU Braunschweig, IMA)

11:50 Accelerator testing of lightweight metal-composite radiation shieldings designed for electronic components onboard GEO satellites - István Csige (HUN-REN Institute for Nuclear Research)

12:15 Tailored Ceramic Metal Matrix Composites for Shielding and Multifunctional Space Structures - Szabolcs Bella (Aedus Space Ltd.)

12:25 Symade.ai: a physics-informed computer-implemented method for radiation shielding materials discovery - Chiara D'Orazio (EmTDLab Space Division)
13:00 Lunch Break
Lunch Break
13:00 - 14:00
14:00 Keynote: Exploration Science and Radiation - Angelique Van Ombergen (Angelique.van.ombergen@esa.int) Piers Jiggens (ESA/ESTEC)
Keynote: Exploration Science and Radiation
- Angelique Van Ombergen (Angelique.van.ombergen@esa.int)
- Piers Jiggens (ESA/ESTEC)
14:00 - 14:30
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall The ESA Exploration programme, Exploration Science and Radiation
14:35 Human Spaceflight and Exploration: Session 1
Session 1
14:35 - 15:45
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
Contributions

14:35 EGIS: Progress Towards Active Plasma-Based Radiation Shielding for Human Space Exploration - Ruth Bamford (STFC RAL Space)

15:00 Extrusion additive manufacturing of water-clay systems for radiation shielding on Mars - Marc Littkopf (TU Berlin)

15:10 Thales Alenia Space’s activities on Radiation Shielding Solutions for Human Spaceflight - Luca Bocchini (Thales Alenia Space)

15:35 Radiation Protection for Martian Habitats Using Water Ice in Inflatable Structure - Pam Graham (Space Oasis Delft)
15:45 Coffee Break
Coffee Break
15:45 - 16:15
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
16:15 Human Spaceflight and Exploration: Session 2
Session 2
16:15 - 17:25
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
Contributions

16:15 Multifunctional composites for space radiation shielding - Ruggero Volponi (CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre)

16:40 From Metals to Multilayer Composites: A Material Comparison for Deep-Space Radiation Shielding - Christoph Frühwirth (Technical University Leoben)

16:55 Evaluating the Radiation Shielding Capabilities and Constraints of Microbial Melanin: Evidence from Heavy Ion and X-ray Experiments - Katharina Runzheimer (German Aerospace Centre) Stefan Leuko (German Aerospace Centre)

17:20 Radiation exposure and shielding effects on the lunar surface - Daniel Matthiä (Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Linder Höhe, Köln, Germany)
17:30 Welcome Cocktail
Welcome Cocktail
17:30 - 19:00
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
Thursday, 18 June 2026

09:00 Welcome
Welcome
09:00 - 09:30
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
09:30 Keynote: Radiation Shielding for Space Nuclear Fission Power and Propulsion - Borja Pozo Larrocha (ESA) Stephanie Barron (ESA)
Keynote: Radiation Shielding for Space Nuclear Fission Power and Propulsion
- Borja Pozo Larrocha (ESA)
- Stephanie Barron (ESA)
09:30 - 10:00
Radiation shielding is a critical enabling technology for Lunar Fission Surface Power (FSP) and Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) systems, where intense mixed neutron–gamma fields from fission processes must be mitigated alongside the space radiation environment. Shield design will be driven by the stringent mass and volume constraints of the launch vehicle, requiring highly optimised, system-integrated solutions where possible. Effective shielding relies on multi-material configurations combining hydrogen-rich moderators for neutron attenuation with high-Z materials for gamma absorption, often in graded or layered architectures. Trade-offs between attenuation performance, secondary radiation generation, structural compatibility, and system integration are key design drivers. This work will present the current ESA nuclear fission requirements and use cases, focussing on FSP and NEP. It will briefly highlight likely reactor architectures and fuel forms, as well as highlight constraints and key considerations towards shielding. A brief overview of worldwide developments in Space fission reactions, including shielding techniques will also be covered.
10:05 Modelling, Tools and Database: Session 1
Session 1
10:05 - 11:05
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
Contributions

10:05 MORED (Materials in Orbital Radiation Environments Database) Introduction - Thomas Scone (Cerberus Nuclear)

10:15 Radiation Profile of the Australian “Roo-ver” Lunar Rover on the Moon’s Surface - Jayden Rinaldo (Swinburne University of Technology)

10:40 FASTRAD® 5.0 novelties: Modelling, calculation, post-processing modules and radiation protection. - Damien Herrera (TRAD, Tests & Radiations)
11:05 Coffee Break
Coffee Break
11:05 - 11:35
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
11:35 Modelling, Tools and Database: Session 2
Session 2
11:35 - 13:00
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
Contributions

11:35 Overview of ESA’s Geant4-based tools for radiation shielding applications - Marco Vuolo (ESA)

12:00 Network of Models - NoM: Enabling digital workflows for radiation transport for shielding - Simon Clucas (ESA)

12:10 From CAD to radiation shielding assessment: An integrated workflow for spacecraft radiation analysis using Space-Suite - Julien Forest (Artenum)

12:35 Multilayer Radiation Shielding Optimisation with GRAS and MULASSIS - Anton Fetzer (Aalto University)
13:00 Lunch Break
Lunch Break
13:00 - 14:00
14:05 Irradiation Facilities: Session 1
Session 1
14:05 - 15:20
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
Contributions

14:05 RADNEXT 2030 - Europe’s coordinated access to radiation effects testing facilities - Gerd Datzmann

14:30 Accelerator beams (protons, electrons, light ions) and monoenergetic neutron sources for space radiation research and radiation shielding testing - Carlos Granja (VSB - Technical University Ostrava)

14:55 Past, present and future of shielding measurements at GSI and FAIR - Lessons learned - Christoph Schuy (GSI)
15:20 Coffee Break
Coffee Break
15:20 - 15:50
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
15:50 Irradiation Facilities: Session 2
Session 2
15:50 - 16:40
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall
Contributions

15:50 Spectral, composition and directional changes and effect of shielding to energetic protons and electrons measured at particle accelerators with Timepix detectors - Carlos Granja (VSB - Technical University Ostrava)

16:15 Design and in-silico benchmarking of proton beam degraders for trapped protons in Low Earth Orbit - Jayden Rinaldo (Swinburne University of Technology)
16:40 Wrap-up and Closure
Wrap-up and Closure
16:40 - 17:10
Room: ESCAPE Tennis Hall

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