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Space Radiation Hazards and the Vision for Space Exploration Report of a Workshop (2006) / Chapter Skim
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4 Summary and Workshop Conclusions
Pages 54-58

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From page 54...
... Further, many of the workshop participants agreed on the following: · Developing timely predictions of the radiation environment is a complex task whose components vary depending on the timescale considered and on the mission characteristics; · Delivering timely predictions requires advances in basic solar and space physics, development of observational assets, improved modeling capabilities, and careful design of communications; · The space operations community -- that is, those who plan and manage human spaceflight missions -- must be informed about these advances in understanding and expanding capabilities so that operators can take advantage of advances; and · In some cases operational tools (i.e., tools for space operations) must be developed or adapted from scientific analytical tools and converted to real-time reporting tools; the transition from research to operations is a very challenging task.
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From page 55...
... Major progress in the predictive capabilities is expected to come from a number of parallel thrusts, which were addressed during this workshop. For example: · An improvement of observations of the boundary conditions in the corona; this improvement can include "force-free" vector magnetograms in the chromosphere or the corona; · The assimilation of data to the global coronal magnetic-field specification from radio, x-ray/extreme ultraviolet radiation, and imaging spectroscopy, as well as coronal seismology; · Detailed observational determination of the magnetic topology in filament channels to determine the CME eruption mechanism; and · The development of self-consistent magnetohydrodynamic models that couple the photosphere and the corona, with a vigorous investigation of CME initiation processes.
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From page 56...
... There are also indications that the current levels of GCR intensity are among the lowest for the past 1,150 years, and that the frequency of occurrence of large solar particle events in recent times has been low compared to the long-term average. The greatest needs in the area of SEP events, as reported by personnel from the Space Radiation Analysis Group at the NASA Johnson Space Center, are these: 1.
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From page 57...
... Knowing how intense an SEP event could be is important to mission design and also to the development of surface operations concepts.There exist only a few decades of direct observation of SEP events, and so only a few major storms such as the August 1972 event have been measured. In order to provide mission planners with guidelines for "worst case" events, the community frequently chooses multiples of a well-known large event (say, two
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From page 58...
... The figure also illustrates that some solar and space physics expertise will provide critical knowledge to specific mission activities. For example, space weather forecasting will be most important for activities carried out by explorers and operators, whereas space climatology will be more important for planners and builders.
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Key Terms

  • space exploration
  • space radiation
  • space weather
  • space environment
  • radiation environment

  • solar activity
  • human spaceflight
  • physics community
  • radiation hazards
  • active regions

  • physics research
  • timely predictions
  • operational space
  • solar cycles
  • energetic particle

  • solar energetic
  • mission design
  • solar wind
  • mission operations
  • environment understanding

  • particle acceleration
  • sep event
  • nasa space
  • space climatology
  • johnson space

  • space operations
  • whereas space
  • required space
  • space center
  • gcr maxima


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