Abstract

A description of the active techniques for protecting spacecraft from intense space radiation

Author(s): Richard Gomez

Over the last few decades, designs employing active techniques incorporating electromagnetic field configurations have occasionally been put out to shield spaceship personnel from dangerous space radiations. Designs have been put out that offer protection from either solar energetic particle event protons or galactic cosmic rays, or even both. The incident radiation spectra or the radiation hazards and restrictions associated with them are frequently assumed in these assessments in a way that is oversimplified or even inaccurate. The proponents of these designs occasionally make overly pessimistic assumptions about the technical hurdles that must be surmounted by the scientific and engineering communities to translate their theoretical concepts into practical applications. This research reviews and evaluates several active shield approaches that have been proposed over the previous few decades.