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Dosimetry in the space radiation field

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Summary

The results of dosimetric measurements are presented which were performed as part of a German experiment package flown onboard the Russian space station MIR. These results are compared to those of previous missions: the first United States Spacelab mission and the first German Spacelab mission. Detector packages consisting of plastic nuclear track detectors, nuclear emulsions, and thermoluminescence dosimeters were exposed in different sections of the Russian space station. The equivalent dose for the astronauts was calculated from the measurements to be 3.9 mSv. Before and after the flight venous blood was taken from the astronauts. Chromosomal aberrations in peripheral lymphocytes were analyzed. It was found that the radiation exposure during the spaceflight leads to an elevation of dicentric chromosomes, indicating a radiation burden of the astronauts.

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Abbreviations

D1:

first German Spacelab mission

LET:

linear energy transfer

SL1:

first US Spacelab mission

TLD:

thermoluminescence dosimeter

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Author notes

  1. G. Reitz

    Present address: Abteilung Biophysik Institut für Flugmedizin, Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Linder Höhe, D-51147, Köln, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DLR-Institut für Flugmedizin, Abteilung Strahlenbiologie, Köln

    G. Reitz

  2. Universität Kiel, Kiel, Germany

    R. Beaujean

  3. Universität GH Essen, Essen, Germany

    N. Heckeley & G. Obe

Authors
  1. G. Reitz
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  2. R. Beaujean
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  3. N. Heckeley
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  4. G. Obe
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Reitz, G., Beaujean, R., Heckeley, N. et al. Dosimetry in the space radiation field. Clin Investig 71, 710–717 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00209725

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00209725

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