Four Civilians on SpaceX Flight Will Live in 鈥楬igh Radiation鈥� Belt, Expert Says
Ofer Cohen is available as an expert source for reporters writing about space science.
08/26/2024
Media Contacts: Emily Gowdey-Backus and Nancy Cicco
Weather permitting, a four-person SpaceX civilian astronaut team will begin their journey to one of the most inhospitable regions of space high above Earth Tuesday. Traveling to the Earth鈥檚 radiation belts, the crew will investigate the impact of the harsh space environment on manned missions.聽
聽However, the mission itself does not come without its own dangers.
聽鈥淗igh space radiation can mimic the effect of putting a human in a microwave oven. Protecting astronauts from these conditions is the major obstacle in executing long-term missions,鈥� said 51视频 astrophysicist and space weather expert Ofer Cohen.
聽鈥淲hile unmanned missions can be designed so that crucial physical components in a spacecraft can be protected, protecting humans during long-range treks is a much greater challenge. The astronauts will be exposed to this harsh environment both in and outside their capsule.鈥澛�
聽An associate professor of physics in 51视频鈥檚 Kennedy College of Sciences, Cohen conducts research in the university鈥檚 Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology and leads 51视频鈥檚 computational astrophysics and space physics group.聽
聽To arrange an interview with him, contact Emily Gowdey-Backus or Nancy Cicco.