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Completed TRL 2 (started at 1, targeting 2)
The project will investigate tripling the shielding effectiveness of water for heavy ion Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) radiation by using layers of structured water in so called Exclusion Zones where the water from hexagonal sheets parallel to a hydrophilic or water loving surface. The exclusion zones are on the order of 500 microns thick and carry a uniform net negative electrical charge. Increased shielding effectiveness results from the positive charge gradient deflecting GCR particles into deflection channels away from astronauts.
Tripling the shielding effectiveness of water it will reduce the weight and volume required for a given level of shielding. A water based deflection channel shield of five to eleven centimeters will deflect almost 100 percent of the high-energy GCR particles to reduce the need for medical and dietary countermeasures to mitigate the effects of ionizing radiation.
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