ACTIVE MAGNETIC SHIELDING FOR LONG DURATION MANNED SPACE MISSIONS

摘要

The radiation risk due to ionizing particles is a criticalrnissue for long duration manned space missions. The ionizationrnlosses in the materials of the spacecraft providernpassive shielding effectively stopping low energy particles.rnHowever, the estimates of the material required tornobtain an acceptable level of radiation result in a prohibitivernmass. Active electromagnetic shields, which deflectrnthe charged particles, have been considered as anrnalternative solution. A study of active magnetic shieldingrnbased on high-temperature superconductors (HTS) wasrninitiated in an ESA study, and continued in the context ofrnthe NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program.rnThe aim of the effort was to provide a realisticrnevaluation of the possibilities based on the current technologicalrnlevel. The different configurations consideredrnwere assessed in terms of their technical feasibility andrnshielding efficiency.