NUCLEAR EMULSION RECORDINGS OF THE ASTRONAUTS' RADIATION EXPOSURE ON THE FIRST LUNAR LANDING MISSION APOLLO 9
Abstract
Ilford G.5 and K.2 emulsions in radiation packs carried by the astronauts on Apollo XI in their space suits were analyzed for identifying the various components of the radiation field in space and determining the total mission dose. In terms of dose equivalents, trapped protons in the radiation belt, disintegration stars in tissue, galactic heavy primaries, electrons, and neutrons contribute in that order to a total mission dose of 201 millirad or 402 millirem. In this exposure, the high-ZE particles with LET values up to 3600 kev/micron tissue constitute a radiobiologically unknown quantity since it is generally agreed upon that microbeam effects in tissue cannot be measured adequately with conventional dosimetric units. Assuming that the effects in question are limited to nuclei of Z = 22 and higher, one arrives at a total mission flux of 76 nuclei/sq. cm. measured on the body of the astronaut; this cannot be properly assessed in its biological significance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 29, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0711316
Entities
People
- Hermann J. Schaefer
- Jeremiah J. Sullivan
Organizations
- Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory