Translated and edited by Yehuda Sabdarmish
One of the dangers faced by the pilots in space missions is the danger of cosmic radiation coming from the vastness of space and the solar wind. Is the same protection required for all parts of the astronaut's body, or is the magnitude of the danger different for the different parts of the body. Probably in the future, a spacesuit will give different protection to different body parts.
Imagine an astronaut engaged in some kind of research work on the moon, when suddenly a burst of light appears from the direction of the sun. At this moment, an alert will be received on the astronaut's alarm system: "A serious solar eruption has occurred." You must take cover, the strong radiation will reach you in ten minutes!, protect your waist and elbows!”
We will only note that these are not the only organs that must be protected, they are the most urgent that require protection against radiation. Other sensitive organs are: the shoulders, the spinal column, the hips, the sternum and the skull.
What is the significance of this strange list of organs? The importance of these organs in the content of bone marrow in them, the production center of blood in the human body. These bone marrow cells are very sensitive to radiation. The radiation storm from the sun, and its fast protons, passing through our bodies, can easily destroy the bone marrow cells. With these cells, a person can only live for about a week. In this case, in order to live, the astronaut will have to undergo an immediate bone marrow transplant which, as we know, is not yet performed in any hospital on the moon. Hence, the importance of preventing the problem, and in order to survive the radiation of solar storms, the first thing to think about will be the protection of the bone marrow.
As we know, NASA is preparing to return man to the moon in 2018. Therefore, this issue of radiation survival becomes extremely important. But we should not forget other dangers that require protection, such as: - the magnetism of the Earth, or, the lack of atmosphere above the astronauts' heads.
The best solution to radiation is to hide, but, for a man walking on the moon, who is far from the lander, it may be too far, and too late, to return in time. This is one of the serious problems of space flight, protecting the bone marrow. This protection will be the difference between life and death for the astronauts.
"Filling the space suit with a radiation shielding material could make it too bulky, which is impractical," says Frank Cuccinotta, chief scientist director at the Johnson Space Center. "But it is possible that partial protection in the important areas is practical. A layer of polyethylene with a thickness of one cm may be sufficient for protection against all solar storms, except for the strongest ones."
According to Cuccinotta, it is enough for 5% of the bone marrow cells to survive for the body to be able to restore itself. But, adds Cuccinotta, "it must be remembered that even a properly protected astronaut may still develop diseases as a result of the long stay in space conditions such as: cancer, cataracts and other diseases. No space suit will be able to stop the radiation completely!”
And so, according to the scientists, at the moment, this idea of selective protection of some of the body's organs against radiation, seems positive, and it may work.
It is worth noting that if this concept, about the radiation danger of solar storms, also existed in the Apollo flights, the suits would have been fuller in the shoulders, the thighs would have been thicker, and in addition, the helmet would have been larger. But, of course, this form should be preferred over fashion.
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Translator's note: In light of what was said in the article, there is probably an urgent need to keep the bone marrow of the astronauts in deep freezing conditions, to prevent the need to search for donors. In addition, the possibility of at least a temporary transplantation of bone marrow under the conditions of the flight should also be examined in order to extend the time that would possibly allow the return of the victim to earth.
The knowledge of man and space
For information on the NASA website
https://www.hayadan.org.il/BuildaGate4/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~~~306068879~~~8&SiteName=hayadan
