STI BULLETIN ONLINE

A quarterly publication of the NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI) Program produced by the 

NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI) for the users of our information products and services.

April 2004

Featured Article Departments

 • NASA Brings It Home

Focus On...Space Radiation

Publication News 

 • Current Topics

 • NASA History

 • From NASA Headquarters

 • From the Users

 • From the STI Program Office

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Featured Article

NASA Brings it Home

Visitors at the Philadelphia Home Show examine sample products of NASA technology transfer featured in NASA’s Spinoff magazine. Spinoff 

editors Michelle Birdsall and Jamie Janvier of the NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI) were there to demonstrate products and 

explain the technology that enabled their development.

When most people pick up a Dustbuster or cordless power tool, they don’t realize 

that the technology was first developed to help astronauts drill and collect soil 

samples on the Moon. In January, Marshall Space Flight Center sponsored an 

exhibit at the Philadelphia Home Show, giving the public an inside look at various 

household items such as these that have originated from NASA technology. 
While many curious onlookers examined the products on display at the 

NASA booth, the home show provided a unique opportunity for Michelle 

Birdsall and Jamie Janvier, editors of NASA’s Spinoff magazine, to share 

their technology transfer knowledge. In a televised news segment, 

Comcast CN8 News reporter Nicole Fox interviewed the two Spinoff 

editors, inviting them to explain NASA’s unique connection to the shoes, 

pillow, golf club, and sunglasses on display. 

Using the sunglasses as an example, Janvier explained that the lenses are 

based on a NASA process for achieving diamond-hard coatings for 

aerospace systems. They offer true scratch resistance and readily shed 

water, reducing smudges and spotting. The lightweight titanium and alloy 

frames, which ease pressure points and are devoid of hinge screws that 

could dislodge, were originally developed for spacewalks.

In addition to sharing the unique background of these everyday items, the 

news segment offered the public a chance to learn more by introducing 

them to Spinoff, which features between 40 to 50 products resulting from 

NASA technology each year. From solar refrigerators to warmer ski 

jackets, Spinoff highlights NASA technologies that benefit the U.S. 

economy and improve our quality of life. To learn more about NASA 

spinoffs and to obtain a complimentary copy of the latest Spinoff issue, 

please visit Spinoff online at www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/, or contact Michelle 

Birdsall (301-621-0244 / mbirdsall@sti.nasa.gov) or Jamie Janvier (301-

621-0242 / jjanvier@sti.nasa.gov).

 
 

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Focus On ... Space Radiation

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The NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) is one of the few places that can simulate the harsh cosmic and solar radiation environment 

found in space. The facility employs beams of heavy ions extracted from the Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Booster accelerator. Here, 

NSRL researcher Debasish Roy places a sample into the NSRL beam line.

Manned space exploration in the 21st century holds exciting prospects 

for the advancement of science and the expansion of the human 

experience. Plans include the Alpha space station, an outpost on the 

Moon, exploration of near asteroids, and a piloted mission to Mars. 

However, human crew members must be protected against the harsh 

environment of space. Of all the environmental challenges that need to 

be overcome, ionizing radiation is at the top of the list. Many consider 

radiation to be the “spoiler” of extended space travel not only for its 

effects on humans, but also for its effects on the materiel that will 

enable such exploration. 

The following sections provide a sample of recently published space radiation material found in the NASA Technical 

Report Server (NTRS). The listing is limited to recently published, publicly available information. Some documents are 

available in full-text Portable Document Format (PDF) that you can download, while others can be purchased through 

the STI Help Desk at 301-621-0390 or help@sti.nasa.gov. Please use the document identification numbers listed 

below when purchasing documents.

Effects on Humans

Anderson, Brooke M.; Nealy, John E.; Kim, Myung-Hee; Qualls, Garry D.; Wilson, John W. Analysis of a 

Radiation Model of the Shuttle Space Suit. 20030033907.

Miller, Jack; Heilbronn, Lawrence H.; Zeitlin, Cary J.; Wilson, John W.; Singleterry, Robert C., Jr.; 

Thibeault, Sheila Ann. Radiation Transport Properties of Potential In Situ-Developed Regolith-Epoxy 

Materials for Martian Habitats. 20030060559. 

Zeitlin, Cary J.; Heilbronn, Lawrence H.; Miller, Jack; Wilson, John W.; Singleterry, Robert C., Jr.; Title 

(Incl. Subtitle): Measurement of Charged Particle Interactions in Spacecraft and Planetary Habitat 

Shielding Materials. 20030060588. 
Effects on Material

Blattnig, Steve R.; Norbury, John W.; Norman, Ryan B. Radiation Shielding for Space Flight. 

20040000799. 

Hambourger, Paul D. Physical Properties and Durability of New Materials for Space and Commercial 

Applications. 20030055667. 

Miller, Jack; Heilbronn, Lawrence H.; Zeitlin, Cary J.; Wilson, John W.; Singleterry, Robert C., Jr.; 

Thibeault, Sheila Ann. Radiation Transport Properties of Potential In Situ-Developed Regolith-Epoxy 

Materials for Martian Habitats. 20030060559. 

Oldham, Timothy R.; McLean, F. B. Total Ionizing Dose Effects in MOS Oxides and Devices. 

20030032300.

Pinsky, Lawrence; Wilson, Thomas; Empl, Anton; Andersen, Victor. Monte Carlo Methods in Materials 

Science Based on FLUKA and ROOT. 20030060561. 

Zeitlin, Cary J.; Heilbronn, Lawrence H.; Miller, Jack; Wilson, John W.; Singleterry, Robert C., Jr. 

Measurement of Charged Particle Interactions in Spacecraft and Planetary Habitat Shielding Materials. 

20030060588. 

Radiation Environments

Barth, Janet L. Space and Atmospheric Environments: From Low Earth Orbits to Deep Space. 

20030053331. 

Plaut, J. J. Mars Odyssey Science: The First Year and Beyond. 20030110814. 

Zeitlin, C.; Cleghorn, T.; Cucinotta, F.; Saganti, P.; Andersen, V.; Lee, K.; Pinsky, L.; Atwell, W.; 

Turner, R. Results from the Martian Radiation Environment Experiment MARIE. 20030111588. 
 

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Departments

● From NASA Headquarters

● From the Users 

● From the STI Program Office

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From NASA Headquarters

OBPR's Radiation Research Program

Mary Kicza, Associate Administrator, NASA Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and 

Walter Schimmerling, NASA’s OBPR Radiation Health Program Manager at the dedication of the 

NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

What does NASA’s OBPR Space Radiation Research Program have to do with STI? 

A lot, as you can see from the Focus On ... Space Radiation and Publication News

sections of this issue. And — as NASA implements the directives in the President’s 

Space Initiative — even more in the coming years through the publications that 

are generated by studies of man and materiel pushing the envelope of extended 

space travel. So, here is a little background on space radiation and the NASA 

Space Radiation Research Program from OBPR’s perspective.

Humans engaged in space activities are exposed to extraterrestrial radiation, 

consisting of protons and heavier charged particles. Doses and dose rates typical 

of those caused by solar disturbances may impair crew performance whereas 

doses and dose rates typical of the galactic cosmic ray environment are likely to result in longer term effects, most 

notably an increase in the probability of cancer induction. The goal of NASA’s OBPR Space Radiation Research 

Program (http://spaceresearch.nasa.gov/research_projects/radiation.html) is to develop the scientific basis for the 

protection of human crew members from space radiation. The research will guide the design of spacecraft and 

planetary habitats for long-term human space exploration.

The program encompasses research in physics, chemistry, materials science, biology, and medicine. It supports 

scientific research in three areas: 1) the fundamental mechanisms of radiation effects on living systems and the 

interaction of radiation with cells, tissues, and organs; 2) the development of instruments and processes dealing with 

the measurement of radiation and its effects; and 3) the development of models to predict and describe the physics 

of the interactions of high energy charged particles and matter. Furthermore, the development and implementation of 

radiation protection standards raises social and legal issues; NASA policy requires this program to adhere to the 

highest ethical and moral standards.

The ground-based component of the program develops scientific bases for the prediction of risk, which can be tested 

in limited ways in ground-based facilities. The space-based component of the program, however, will use flight 

opportunities to validate models of the space environment and transport of radiation. This is accomplished through 
shielding, assessment of the efficacy of ground-based experiments for predicting risk, testing of countermeasures, 

and understanding the synergism between the effects of radiation and other space flight factors such as 

weightlessness.

The findings will be applied, wherever possible, to the improvement of life and occupational health on Earth. Such 

benefits may take the form of better protection against the effects of radiation exposure, more precise radiation 

detection capabilities, and improved knowledge about the causes and mechanisms of cancer, the function of the 

central nervous system, and other critical tissues, aging, and plant breeding.

The OBPR Space Radiation Research Program funds research at NASA Centers, universities, Department of Energy 

National Laboratories, and other Federal agencies. NASA researchers also work closely with scientists from other 

space faring nations.

From the Users

This department is for you! We welcome your contributions and comments. Send them to us, and we will consider 

them for publication in the next issue.

NASA Videos Q & A

Q. I am working for the science and technology magazine called Popularis, broadcast by the national Czech TV. We 

would like to present stories on the latest research of our solar system, our planets and on the search for exoplanets. 

Do you have any footage on these topics, please?

A. You can conduct a search yourself for videos on two NASA Internet sites. You can use the NASA Video Catalog, a 

searchable PDF at http://www.sti.nasa.gov (bottom link in the center, NASA Videos). If you prefer using a 

database, you can use the NTRS: NASA Technical Reports Server located at http://ntrs.nasa.gov. Type “video” in the 

search box and add other keywords that are relevant to your search. For example, “video solar system” will produce 

abstracts of videos that are relevant to the solar system.
 

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Departments

● From NASA Headquarters 

● From the Users 

● From the STI Program Office

Back to Main

From the STI Program Office

Release of NIX2

The STI Program Office will soon release a new version of the NASA Image eXchange (NIX), called NIX2. This new 

version of NIX centralizes the metadata by using XML and Lucene to correct a number of problems associated with 

the fully distributed model used in the previous version of NIX. Issues concerning the deployment of geographically 

distributed mirror servers are being resolved to ensure consistent reliability. For more information, you may contact 

Bill von Ofenheim at w.h.c.vonofenheim@larc.nasa.gov.
 

STI BULLETIN ONLINE

Publication News

● Current Topics

❍ Space Radiation Workshop Proceedings

❍ EVA Space Suit Technical Paper

❍ NCRP Report on Radiation Safety

● NASA History

❍ Great Radiation Images

Back to Main

Current Topics

Space Radiation Workshop Proceedings

The 3rd International Workshop on Space Radiation Research and 15th Annual NASA Space 

Radiation Health Investigators' Workshop will be held on May 16–20, 2004 in Port Jefferson, 

New York (http://www.dsls.usra.edu/meetings/radiation2004/index.html). Opening session 

speakers will include Walter Schimmerling, NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical 

Research (OBPR) Space Radiation Health Program Manager; Praveen Chaudhari, 

Brookhaven National Laboratory Director; and Francis A. Cucinotta, head of the Space 

Radiation Health Project at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Plenary session topics include 

Radiation Carcinogenesis and Genomic Instability; Non-Cancer Risks; Neurological Damage 

from Space Radiation; Molecular and Cellular Responses; Radiation Quality and Biological 

Studies of Shielding; Dosimetry, Physics, and Shielding; Biomarkers, Sensitivity, and 

Prevention; and Space Exploration Radiation Risk Assessment Roadmap. Workshop 

proceedings will be published in a special supplement to Radiation Research (http://www.

radres.org/).
EVA Space Suit Technical Paper

Computerized model of ISS EVA space suit developed by Radiation Shielding Design Team at NASA Langley Research Center.

According to the Space RAD Health Newsletter (http://srhp.jsc.nasa.gov/newsletter/volume3-

3/Index.cfm), A NASA Technical Paper, NASA/TP-2003-212051, has been published on the 

radiation protection tests of Russian and American space suits, the Russian Space Agency 

(RSA) Orlan space suit and the NASA Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), respectively. Edited 

by Drs. Francis A. Cucinotta, Mark R. Shavers, Premkumar B. Saganti, and Jack Miller, the 

technical paper details the space suit testing that involved extensive collaborations between 

the NASA Johnson Space Center Extravehicular Activity Program Office, NASA Johnson Space 

Center Space Radiation Health Project Office, Russian Space Agency, Loma Linda University 

Proton Treatment Center, NASA Langley Research Center, Lawrence Berkeley National 

Laboratory, and the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Participants in the activity were 

scientists from the NASA Johnson Space Center, NASA JSC Space Radiation Health Project 

Office, NASA Langley Research Center, Loma Linda University, Lawrence Berkeley National 

Laboratory, and ERIL Research Corporation.

NCRP Report on Radiation Safety

According to the Space RAD Health Newsletter, The National Council on Radiation 

Protection and Measurements (NCRP) released their report on Operational Radiation 

Safety Program for Astronauts in Low Earth Orbit: A Basic Framework (NCRP-Report 

No.142, 2002). The committee members for the report were Richard J. Vetter (Mayo 

Clinic), Chair, Ellen S. Baker (NASA Johnson Space Center), David T. Bartlett 

(National Radiological Protection Board), Thomas B. Borak (Colorado State 

University), Susan M. Laghorst (Washington University in St. Louis), Stephen W.S. 

McKeever (Oklahoma State University), Jack Miller (Lawrence Berkeley National 

Laboratory), R. Julian Preston (Environmental Protection Agency), and John W. 

Wilson (NASA Langley Research Center). Charles B. Meinhold (NCRP) served as an 

advisor to the Committee.

The new report reviews current methods, and makes 20 major recommendations on all areas of operational radiation 

safety program including:

● Methods of physical and biological dosimetry

● Approaches to immediate dose management

● Implementation of the ALARA principle 

● Organ dose assessments and radiation safety records 

● The overall management and structure of the radiation protection program

You can obtain a copy at http://www.ncrp.com/pubs.html.
NASA History

Great Radiation Images

GReat Images in NASA (GRIN) is a collection of over a thousand images of significant historical interest scanned at 

high-resolution in several sizes. The following is a sample of great images in NASA history with radiation research. 

Massive Magnetic Core, Langley Research Center, 1 January 1964.

The massive magnetic core of the Space Radiation Effects Laboratory's 

Synchrocyclotron at NASA's Langley Research Center is a 3000 ton (6 

million pound), 36' x 21' x 19.5' assembly of forged steel that serves as the 

heart of the 600 million electron volt, high energy proton accelerator. 

Pioneer III Probe, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Looking more like surgeons, these technicians wearing "cleanroom" attire 

inspect the Pioneer III probe before shipping it to Cape Canaveral, Florida. 

Pioneer III was launched on December 6, 1958 aboard a Juno II rocket at 

the Atlantic Missile Range, Cape Canaveral, Florida. The mission objectives 

were to measure the radiation intensity of the Van Allen radiation belt, test 

long range communication systems, the launch vehicle and other 

subsystems. The Juno II failed to reach proper orbital escape velocity. The 

probe re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on December 7th ending its brief 

mission.
Explorer I Architects, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1 January 1958

The three men responsible for the success of Explorer I, America's first 

Earth satellite which was launched January 31, 1958. At left is Dr. 

William H. Pickering, former director of JPL, which built and operated the 

satellite. Dr. James A. van Allen, center, of the State University of Iowa, 

designed and built the instrument on Explorer that discovered the 

radiation belts which circle the Earth. At right is Dr. Wernher von Braun, 

leader of the Army's Redstone Arsenal team which built the first stage 

Redstone rocket that launched Explorer I.

 
 

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