PHOTOSTRESS AND FLASH BLINDNESS IN AEROSPACE OPERATIONS

Abstract

The hazard of flash blindness to the success of an aerospace mission is well recognized. Until recently, there has been a paucity of information on the effects of short-duration, high-intensity light flashes on visual performance. The paper presents the results of several disturbance from this type of photostress. In these expanded and more comprehensive studies subjects have been exposed to bright flashes that illuminate the cornea with intensities up to 242,000 lux (about twice the illumination that an unprotected astronaut would be exposed to on an earth orbit). An analysis was made of the effect of drug-induced miosis upon the time required for recovery. The relevance of the information derived from this work to problems of space and nuclear operations is mentioned, and the operational significance is implied.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1963
Accession Number
AD0600402

Entities

People

  • Albert V. Alder
  • James F. Culver
  • Norris L. Newton
  • Sanford L. Severin

Organizations

  • United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Analysis Of Variance
  • Blindness
  • Contrast
  • Detonations
  • Diffusion
  • Emission
  • Explosions
  • Eye Diseases
  • Illumination
  • Intensity
  • Nuclear Explosions
  • Nuclear Fireball
  • Nuclear Flash
  • Observers
  • Recovery
  • Visual Acuity

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.
  • Toxicology/Environmental Toxicology
  • Vision Science/Vision Psychology/Cognitive Neuroscience.

Technology Areas

  • Space