Scientists of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), with the participation of employees of the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IMBP), are working on helmets and vests to protect astronauts from radiation. The suits will be used to visit the ROSS orbital station. This was reported to socialbites.ca in JINR.
ROSS is scheduled to launch in 2027-2028. This will be the first station in such a high-latitude orbit. From there it will be possible to observe the entire territory of Russia, including the Northern Sea Route. However, in such an orbit, an increased level of radiation is observed, so the RBSS is visited, without settlements on it. For the same reason, scientists need to create special protective gear for astronauts.
“Galactic radiation, for example, contains heavy nuclei, whose passage through brain tissue may eventually impair cognitive function; this is unacceptable for the extremely responsible work of astronauts on a space mission. We are planning to create special protection for head and vests. We consider the material and its thickness, at what time of day the cosmonaut should or should not wear protection, for example, during sleep, ”said Vyacheslav Shurshakov, head of the radiation safety department for manned space flights at IBMP RAS. socialbites.ca.
Currently, wearable protection elements are being developed by many scientific and technological organizations working in the space industry in different countries. The radiation resistance of the suit prototypes created by Russian scientists will be tested using the NICA collider.