Pages: 44-51

Authors: Feng Xu, Xianghong Jia, Qian Liu, Wei Lu, Zhanchun Pan, and Chunxin Yang

Abstract

In order to ensure the health and safety of female astronauts in space, the risks of space radiation should be evaluated, and effective methods for protecting against space radiation should be investigated. In this paper, a dose calculation model is established for Chinese female astronauts. The absorbed doses of some organs in two historical solar particle events are calculated using Monte Carlo methods, and the shielding conditions are 0 gcm^-2 and 5 gcm^-2 aluminum, respectively. The calculated results are analysed, compared, and discussed. The results show that 5 gcm^-2 aluminum cannot afford enough effective protection in solar particle events. Hence, once encountering solar particle events in manned spaceflight missions, in order to ensure the health and safety of female astronauts, they are not allowed to stay in the pressure vessel, and must enter into the thicker shielding location such as food and water storage cabin.

Key words: radiation protection, female astronaut, space radiation, Monte Carlo method, organ dose

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