AstroRad vest reduces astronaut radiation exposure
A team led by StemRad tested the AstroRad radiation-shielding vest on two instrumented female phantoms aboard NASA's uncrewed Artemis I mission and analyzed past solar particle events to project protection levels. The vest, built from thousands of hexagonal hydrogen-rich plastic rods and weighing about 26 kilograms, targets the most radiation-sensitive organs and reduced doses by about 30% compared with uniform shielding and by nearly 60% for a historic August 1972 event. Designed as an emergency countermeasure, AstroRad can provide shelter-equivalent protection while allowing mobility and can be partly 3D-printed from recycled polyethylene in orbit.
AstroRad vests can cut solar-event radiation doses by up to 60 percent
Context
NASA flew two instrumented female phantoms on Artemis I. One phantom wore an AstroRad vest and provided radiation data. Researchers may run more tests and explore in-space manufacturing next.
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