Evaluation of SPE and GCR Radiation Effects in Inflatable and Habitable Materials-of-Construction, Year 2

This research builds on the previously funded FY15 JSC CL IR&D project Evaluation of SPE and GCR Radiation Effects in Inflatable and Habitable Materials-of-Construction. Follow-on (Year 2) risk reduction data will be provided to accelerate of the use of new inflatable habitat and emerging composite habitat materials technologies for manned interplanetary flight that reduce vehicle mass while improving safety and performance. Radiation damage assessments will also be completed for Mars surface space suit materials.

The expected outcome will allow NASA to know what risks are associated with using inflatable, space suit and habitable composite materials, and more generically, polymeric materials used in long duration mission scenarios. If little or no damage or property change occurs, then rapid adoption of inflatable, space suit, and habitable composite materials-of-construction is expected. Alternatively, if moderate to severe damage or property change occurs, then service lifetimes will have to be limited or other engineering controls implemented (e.g., shielding, reformulation). Development or improvement of NASA qualification protocols for polymeric materials used in space radiation environments (based on NASA-HDBK-6015 Radiation Effects on Non-Electronic Materials) is also anticipated.

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