Impact of space radiation on human space travelers

Determine the impact of radiation on human space travelers during deep-space missions, such as journeys to Mars, as this impact remains not yet fully understood.

Background

In the Introduction, the authors discuss the hazards of space radiation for crewed missions, referencing measurements from NASA’s Curiosity rover. They note that while radiation exposure is a major concern for astronauts traveling to Mars, the overall impact on human space travelers remains insufficiently understood.

This unresolved understanding is presented to motivate continued advancements in radiation shielding materials and strategies, which is a central theme of the paper’s investigation into lithium borohydride (LiBH4) within high-performance concrete for mixed neutron-gamma fields.

References

The measurements obtained by the Curiosity rover during its voyage to Mars in August 2022 indicate that the impact of radiation on human space travelers remains a significant concern, although it is not yet fully understood [14].

— Lithium Borohydride (LiBH4): An Innovative Material for Neutron Radiation Shielding  (2406.03640 - Lotfalian et al., 2024) in Section 1. Introduction (paragraph referencing RAD and Curiosity rover results, citation [14])

The largest uncertainty for the ${}{236}$Pu chain is to demonstrate its safety in manned spaceflight and other use-cases where humans will be close to the RTG. The nuclear battery must demonstrate ${}{220}$Rn emanation fractions near 0.9 at $\sim$100 W cm${}{-3}$ in the gamma chamber.

— Scalable production of nuclear battery alpha emitters using fusion neutrons  (2608.12963 - Parisi, 13 Aug 2026) in Section Discussion