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Review of models of the near-Earth space radiation environment is presented, including recent developments in trapped proton and electron, galactic cosmic ray and solar particle event models geared toward spacecraft electronics applications.
The adequate knowledge of the radiation environment and the doses incurred during a space mission is essential for estimating an astronaut's health risk. The space radiation environment is complex and variable, and exposures inside the spacecraft and the astronaut's body are compounded by the interactions of the primary particles with the atoms of the structural materials and with the body itself Astronauts' radiation exposures are measured by means of personal dosimetry, but there remains substantial uncertainty associated with the computational extrapolation of skin dose to organ dose, which can lead to over- or underestimation of the health risk. Comparisons of models to data showed that the astronaut's Effective dose (E) can be predicted to within about a +10% accuracy using space radiation transport models for galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and trapped radiation behind shielding. However for solar particle event (SPE) with steep energy spectra and for extra-vehicular activities on the surface of the moon where only tissue shielding is present, transport models predict that there are large differences in model assumptions in projecting organ doses. Therefore experimental verification of SPE induced organ doses may be crucial for the design of lunar missions. In the research experiment "Depth dose distribution study within a phantom torso" at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at BNL, Brookhaven, USA the large 1972 SPE spectrum was simulated using seven different proton energies from 50 up to 450 MeV. A phantom torso constructed of natural bones and realistic distributions of human tissue equivalent materials, which is comparable to the torso of the MATROSHKA phantom currently on the ISS, was equipped with a comprehensive set of thermoluminescence detectors and human cells. The detectors are applied to assess the depth dose distribution and radiation transport codes (e.g. GEANT4) are used to assess the radiation field and interactions of the radiation field with the phantom torso. Lymphocyte cells are strategically embedded at selected locations at the skin and internal organs and are processed after irradiation to assess the effects of shielding on the yield of chromosome damage. The initial focus of the present experiment is to correlate biological results with physical dosimetry measurements in the phantom torso. Further on, the results of the passive dosimetry within the anthropomorphic phantoms represent the best tool to generate reliable data to benchmark computational radiation transport models in a radiation field of interest. The presentation will give first results of the physical dose distribution, the comparison with GEANT4 computer simulations based on a Voxel model of the phantom, and a comparison with the data from the chromosome aberration study.
This viewgraph presentation reviews several space environments, and the hazards they pose to spacecraft operations. The presentation covers solar activity effects, galactic cosmic rays, near Earth environments including the magnetosphere, thermosphere, ionsophere, and plasmasphere, single event upsets, micrometeoroids, space debris, and an overview of conditions on other planets, especially Jupiter.
The high-energy protons from solar energetic particle (SEP) events present a hazard to space systems: damage to science instruments/electronics/materials or to astronauts. A reliable estimate of the high-energy proton environment is critical to assure mission success. Important characteristics of an SEP event are fluence, peak flux, energy spectrum, time to reach the peak flux, time to reach peak dose, and properties of the cumulative dose profile after an event starts. All of these characteristics are important to understand in order to design space missions properly for both robotic and human missions. Because of the unpredictable and sporadic nature of SEP events, statistical models are often used to represent the SEP parameters described above. In a study by Jun et al. (2007), the statistics of event fluences, durations, and time intervals between events were investigated using the then available historical SEP dataset obtained from the instruments onboard the IMP-8 spacecraft. Since then, a more comprehensive SEP dataset based off of IMP-8 and GOES called Reference Data Set Version 2.0 (RDSv2.0) has become available covering the SEP events up to Year 2015 under a framework of the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Solar Energetic Particle Environment Modelling (SEPEM) project (Jiggens et al., 2018). The main objectives of this statistical study of SEP events are two-fold: First, the statistics of peak fluxes, event fluences, durations, and time intervals will be re-visited by using RDSv2.0; Second, the statistical analyses of flux and dose timing will be performed using the same dataset RDSv2.0. The results of this study will address the statistical properties of all key parameters for designing a spacecraft or a human mission where the SEP environment is an important consideration.
The majority of research regarding IESD has been concerned with the electrons in the space environment around the Earth and at Jupiter; little research has been done on the charging of spacecraft in interplanetary space due to solar event protons. This paper provides a review of the literature regarding IESD due to protons and presents the results of recent laboratory experiments.
In this paper we describe the design and architecture of the Mars Network planning and analysis framework that supports generation and validation of efficient planning and scheduling strategy. The goals are to minimize the transmitting time, minimize the delaying time, and/or maximize the network throughputs. The proposed framework would require (1) a client-server architecture to support interactive, batch, WEB, and distributed analysis and planning applications for the relay network analysis scheme, (2) a high-fidelity modeling and simulation environment that expresses link capabilities between spacecraft to spacecraft and spacecraft to Earth stations as time-varying resources, and spacecraft activities, link priority, Solar System dynamic events, the laws of orbital mechanics, and other limiting factors as spacecraft power and thermal constraints, (3) an optimization methodology that casts the resource and constraint models into a standard linear and nonlinear constrained optimization problem that lends itself to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)planning and scheduling algorithms.
This paper presents results from a contingency trajectory analysis performed for the Lunar Atmosphere & Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission in the event of a missed lunar-orbit insertion (LOI) maneuver by the LADEE spacecraft. The effects of varying solar perturbations in the vicinity of the weak stability boundary (WSB) in the Sun-Earth system on the trajectory design are analyzed and discussed. It is shown that geocentric recovery trajectory options existed for the LADEE spacecraft, depending on the spacecraft's recovery time to perform an Earth escape-prevention maneuver after the hypothetical LOI maneuver failure and subsequent path traveled through the Sun-Earth WSB. If Earth-escape occurred, a heliocentric recovery option existed, but with reduced science capacapability for the spacecraft in an eccentric, not circular near-equatorial retrograde lunar orbit.
This paper presents results from a contingency trajectory analysis performed for the Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission in the event of a missed lunar-orbit insertion (LOI) maneuver by the LADEE spacecraft. The effects of varying solar perturbations in the vicinity of the weak stability boundary (WSB) in the Sun-Earth system on the trajectory design are analyzed and discussed. It is shown that geocentric recovery trajectory options existed for the LADEE spacecraft, depending on the spacecrafts recovery time to perform an Earth escape-prevention maneuver after the hypothetical LOI maneuver failure and subsequent path traveled through the Sun-Earth WSB. If Earth-escape occurred, a heliocentric recovery option existed, but with reduced science capability for the spacecraft in an eccentric, not circular near-equatorial retrograde lunar orbit.
To plan and design safe and reliable space missions, it is necessary to take into account the effects of the space radiation environment. This is done by setting the goal of achieving safety and reliability with some desired level of confidence. To achieve this goal, a worst-case space radiation environment at the required confidence level must be obtained. Planning and designing then proceeds, taking into account the effects of this worst-case environment. The result will be a mission that is reliable against the effects of the space radiation environment at the desired confidence level. In this paper we will describe progress toward developing a model that provides worst-case space radiation environments at user-specified confidence levels. We will present a model for worst-case event-integrated solar proton environments that provide the worst-case differential proton spectrum. This model is based on data from IMP-8 and GOES spacecraft that provide a data base extending from 1974 to the present. We will discuss extending this work to create worst-case models for peak flux and mission-integrated fluence for protons. We will also describe plans for similar models for helium and heavier ions.
The sensitivity of the Clementine 2.1 Gbit Solid State Data Recorder (SSDR) to single event upsets was characterized in ground tests. Subsequent in-situ measurements of the ambient radiation environment by experiments on-board Clementine permitted evaluation of the ability of models of the single event phenomenon in the SSDR to be tested using actual data. Initial results from the analysis reveal a nearly constant background upset rate of ~71 bit flips/day for the SSDR. There is no obvious correlation with a solar proton event recorded by Clementine and several other spacecraft on 20-21 February 1994, indicating that the SSDR was not sensitive to protons. The constant rate is thus interpreted as being a function of the Galactic Cosmic Ray heavy ion environment. A pronounced lunar orbit altitude dependence has also been identified in the data though the cause has not yet been unambiguously identified.
A plan to use a 55m wrap rib antenna in a second generation land mobile satellite service application as a specific mission to define a large space structure technology system and its interfaces is described. The system design aims to examine the launch phase of the mission including interface with the space transportation system and the orbital transfer vehicle, and the deployment from the spacecraft of the boom, antennas, and solar panels. Methods for determining the effect of system configuration on the interfaces and of the space environment and operational events on the system and its subsystem interfaces are discussed.
This study presents the results of a spacecraft charging effects protection study conducted on the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI). The SXI is being developed by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center for NOAA's Space Environment Laboratory, and will be used to aid in forecasting energetic particle events and geomagnetic storms. Images will provide information on the intensity and location of solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and high speed solar streams. The SXI will be flown on a next-generation GOES sometime in the mid to late 1990's. Charging due to the encounter with a worst-case magnetic substorm environment is modeled using the NASCAP/GEO computer code. Charging levels of exterior surfaces and the floating potential of the spacecraft relative to plasma are determined as a function of spacecraft design, operational configuration, and orbital conditions. Areas where large surface voltage gradients exist on or near the SXI are identified as possible arc-discharge sites. Results of the charging analysis are then used to develop design recommendations that will limit the effects of spacecraft charging on the SXI operation.
The Cosmic Ray Effects on MicroElectronics (CREME) model that is currently in use to estimate single event effect rates in spacecraft is described. The CREME model provides a description of the radiation environment in interplanetary space near the orbit of the earth that contains no major deficiencies. The accuracy of the galactic cosmic ray model is limited by the uncertainties in solar modulation. The model for solar energetic particles could be improved by making use of all the data that has been collected on solar energetic particle events. There remain major uncertainties about the environment within the earth's magnetosphere, because of the uncertainties over the charge states of the heavy ions in the anomalous component and solar flares, and because of trapped heavy ions. The present CREME model is valid only at 1 AU, but it could be extended to other parts of the heliosphere. There is considerable data on the radiation environment from 0.2 to 35 AU in the ecliptic plane. This data could be used to extend the CREME model.
The Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) has detected high negative amplitude rapid charging events (RCEs) on the International Space Station (ISS) at the morning terminator. These events are larger and more rapid than the ISS morning charging events first seen by the Floating Potential Probe (FPP) on ISS in 2001. In this paper, we describe a theory for the RCEs that further elucidates the nature of spacecraft charging in low Earth orbit (LEO) in a non-equilibrium situation. The model accounts for all essential aspects of the newly discovered phenomenon, and is amenable to testing on-orbit. Predictions of the model for the amplitude of the ISS RCEs for the full set of ISS solar arrays and for the coming solar cycle are given, and the results of modeling by the Environments WorkBench (EWB) are compared to the observed events to show that the phenomenon can be explained by solar array driven charging. The situation is unique because the coverglasses have not yet reached equilibrium with the surrounding plasma during the RCEs. Finally, a prescription for further use of the ISS for investigating fundamental plasma physics in LEO is given. Already, plasma and charging monitoring instruments on ISS have taught us much about spacecraft interactions with the dense LEO plasma, and we expect they will continue to yield more valuable science when the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) is in place.
Knowledge of the space radiation environment is crucial both for human space exploration, and robotic space missions. It is likely that human explorers will return to the moon, and then go to Mars within the next thirty years. The radiation environment that they will encounter is a significant obstacle to future exploration, and must be dealt with successfully before longterm human missions outside of the magnetosphere can take place. Shielding technologies and materials must be developed to lower the dose and dose equivalent that human beings will receive on such missions. To begin this development, a fairly complete and accurate understanding of the space environment must be obtained. The major components of the space particle radiation environment that are most hazardous to humans are: galactic cosmic rays (GCR), the particles contained in solar particle events, (SPE), and secondary particles generated in material in the spacecraft itself. The intensity of the GCR varies by roughly a factor of two over the eleven-year solar cycle, inversely with the level of solar activity. These GCR particles are fully stripped nuclei, predominantly protons and helium, but also significant numbers of heavier ions, including carbon, oxygen, and iron. Since the ionization caused by nuclei passing through matter is proportional to the square of its charge (Z=10). The MARIE instrument has been described elsewhere.
Solar energetic particle (SEP) events are related to both solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and they present energy spectra that span from a few keV up to several GeV. A wealth of observations from widely distributed spacecraft have revealed that SEPs fill very broad regions of the heliosphere, often all around the Sun. High energy SEPs can sometimes be energetic enough to penetrate all the way down to the surface of the Earth and thus be recorded on the ground as ground level enhancements (GLEs). The conditions of the radiation environment are currently unpredictable due to an as-yet incomplete understanding of solar eruptions and their corresponding relation to SEP events. This is because the complex nature and the interplay of the injection, acceleration and transport processes undergone by the SEPs in the solar corona and the interplanetary space prevent us from establishing an accurate understanding (based on observations and modelling). In this work, we review the current status of knowledge on SEPs, focusing on GLEs and multi-spacecraft events. We extensively discuss the forecasting and nowcasting efforts of SEPs, dividing these into three categories. Finally, we report on the current open questions and the possible direction of future research efforts. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Solar eruptions and their space weather impact’.
Spacecraft charging on the International Space Station (ISS) is caused by a complex mix of the low Earth orbit plasma environment, space weather events, operations of the high voltage solar arrays, and changes in the ISS configuration and orbit parameters. Measurements of the ionospheric electron density and temperature along the ISS orbit and variations in the ISS electric potential are obtained from the Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) suite of four plasma instruments (two Langmuir probes, a Floating Potential Probe, and a Plasma Impedance Probe) on the ISS. These instruments provide a unique capability for monitoring the response of the ISS electric potential to variations in the space environment, changes in vehicle configuration, and operational solar array power manipulation. In particular, rapid variations in ISS potential during solar array operations on time scales of tens of milliseconds can be monitored due to the 128 Hz sample rate of the Floating Potential Probe providing an interesting insight into high voltage solar array interaction with the space plasma environment. Comparing the FPMU data with the ISS operations timeline and solar array data provides a means for correlating some of the more complex and interesting ISS electric potential variations with mission operations. In addition, recent extensions and improvements to the ISS data downlink capabilities have allowed more operating time for the FPMU than ever before. The FPMU was operated for over 200 days in 2013 resulting in the largest data set ever recorded in a single year for the ISS. This presentation will provide examples of a number of the more interesting ISS charging events observed during the 2013 operations including examples of rapid charging events due to solar array power operations, auroral charging events, and other charging behavior related to ISS mission operations.
Spacecraft charging on the International Space Station (ISS) is caused by a complex combination of the low Earth orbit plasma environment, space weather events, operations of the high voltage solar arrays, and changes in the ISS configuration and orbit parameters. Measurements of the ionospheric electron density and temperature along the ISS orbit and variations in the ISS electric potential are obtained from the Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) suite of four plasma instruments (two Langmuir probes, a Floating Potential Probe, and a Plasma Impedance Probe) on the ISS. These instruments provide a unique capability for monitoring the response of the ISS electric potential to variations in the space environment, changes in vehicle configuration, and operational solar array power manipulation. In particular, rapid variations in ISS potential during solar array operations on time scales of tens of milliseconds can be monitored due to the 128 Hz sample rate of the Floating Potential Probe providing an interesting insight into high voltage solar array interaction with the space plasma environment. Comparing the FPMU data with the ISS operations timeline and solar array data provides a means for correlating some of the more complex and interesting ISS electric potential variations with mission operations. In addition, recent extensions and improvements to the ISS data downlink capabilities have allowed more operating time for the FPMU than ever before. The FPMU was operated for over 200 days in 2013 resulting in the largest data set ever recorded in a single year for the ISS. In this paper we provide examples of a number of the more interesting ISS charging events observed during the 2013 operations including examples of rapid charging events due to solar array power operations, auroral charging events, and other charging behavior related to ISS mission operations.