Barbara Thompson works for NASA. She wrote Solar Dynamics Observatory: Understanding Our Dynamic Star. She produced a report for Congress on The Impact of Solar Eruptions on Near-Earth Space.
Barbara has been speaking at Space Access for several years. Barbara said she is building on talks she has given in the past. She explained that like dealing with weather and predicting weather on earth, we can watch the sun and predict what is going to happen and the impact solar activity will on humans in space.
She reviewed some misconceptions about space weather:
1) There is no risk at solar minimum. Not true, she said there is still activity, even when there is minimal activity. And one of the highest flux of energetic photons was near a solor minimum.
2) There is no risk at low (sub orbital) altitudes. Not true. She showed a chart of radiation levels in the atmosphere which affect the airline industry, which often forces airplanes to change
3) Radiation goes in a straight line, so just stand behind a shield. Not true. Particles spiral, with a radius of up to 100 kilometers. Need a moon to get 180 degree shielding.
4) What we know about radiation affects on Earth can easily be transmitted into space. Not true. Damage is not linear. There is a strange spectrum of interactions.
5) We can deal with space weather issues later in the development phase.
But she said there is good news:
1) There are more people studying space weather.
2) The airline industry is making progress in understanding radiation issues.
3) The issues of space weather are getting greater exposure
She encouraged people to check out last year’s Space Weather Workshop. This year’s Space Weather Workshop will be held in Boulder, Colorado, late in April. She highlighted some of the interesting subjects that will be talked about.
Some questions and answers:
1) Does the Air Force study Space Weather?
Yes. Some of her numbers came from the Air Force.
2) Someone asked about airline and astronaut data on the affects of radiation?
There is too little data right now, and because there have been so few astronauts that with privacy issues they don’t release data. And airlines are also reluctant release data.
I missed a question or two
Barbara talked about how American and Russian astronauts reacted to solar activity. Americans hunker down. The Russian tend to not worry about radiation.
First: Introduction
Overview: the agenda
Previous: Registration and Opening remarks
Next: Gerry Nordley on Artificial Magnetospheres
----------
Technorati tags: space access
No comments:
Post a Comment