Solar flares and powerful cosmic rays can shred DNA and
increase cancer risks for future astronauts who might make long-term stays on
future moon missions.
As NASA considers this issue in its plans for a return the moon
by 2020, a team of college students has proposed a solution: giant blankets.
Engineering students at North Carolina State University (NCSU)
designed a "lunar texshield," a layered blanket made of lightweight polymer
material. The outer surface of the shield is a flexible array of solar cells
that generate electricity. Underneath, a layer of radiation
shielding deflects or absorbs incoming particles, to better protect astronauts
in lunar
outposts.
The students entered their design in a NASA-sponsored
aerospace engineering competition for college students that will begin in June.
"We had many factors
to consider in developing this outpost cover – not just being able to protect against
radiation," said NCSU engineering student Michael Sieber in a
statement. "The product needed to be as lightweight as possible to
feasibly fit on the transportation module, and have the ability to be easily
erected by a minimum number of astronauts for immediate use once landing on the
moon."
In June, Sieber and his
team will pit their blanket against designs conceived by 14 other teams, some
of which might be used in future missions.
Unlike the blanket, some of
the other designs in the works are more hush-hush. But a few teams have given
hints of their proposals.
Georgia Tech teams drew up
plans for space-faring convoys of sorts that haul materials between Earth and
the Moon, filling up their tanks at orbiting fuel stations. And they had ideas
for efficient power grids and how to manage resources like air and water.
The Colorado School of
Mines designed a small rescue rover as a lifeline for injured astronauts, and
the University of Maryland's team has plans for a lunar version of a
helicopter.
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