Chris Rees
About
My research project
Radiation risk assessment and management for space tourism and very high altitude aviationWithin the next decade it is likely that the Space Tourism industry will grow dramatically and the number of humans travelling into the stratosphere via commercial entities such as World View and Space Perspective will increase into the thousands. Current Space Tourism ventures focus on long duration very high altitude balloon flights; also known as ‘near space’ flights, sub-orbital flights and visits to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). In the next few decades space tourism is ultimately likely to become as normal as a transatlantic flight. During these new commercial ventures the effects of cosmic radiation exposure, especially during sudden changes in space weather, such as Ground Level Enhancement (GLE) events, could have significant health implications for crew and passengers.
The risks from these rapid changes in space weather and potential radiation exposure during flights is not currently fully understood or widely realised. Legislation and regulation for such enterprises is also in its infancy with little or no guidance for commercial entities or potential passengers. The initial works at the University of Surrey have focused on very high altitude ‘near space’ balloon flights. World-wide launch locations for flights have been modelled using MAIRE and CARI-7 computer programs. Flight routes have been monitored, for current commercial and higher flight levels, using the Smart Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation (SAIRA) detector. The modelled flight profiles have been compared with detector data, assessed for altitudes between 18km and 60km with varying space weather conditions, from norms to extreme events, to assess the radiation risk presented by potential exposure.
Supervisors
Within the next decade it is likely that the Space Tourism industry will grow dramatically and the number of humans travelling into the stratosphere via commercial entities such as World View and Space Perspective will increase into the thousands. Current Space Tourism ventures focus on long duration very high altitude balloon flights; also known as ‘near space’ flights, sub-orbital flights and visits to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). In the next few decades space tourism is ultimately likely to become as normal as a transatlantic flight. During these new commercial ventures the effects of cosmic radiation exposure, especially during sudden changes in space weather, such as Ground Level Enhancement (GLE) events, could have significant health implications for crew and passengers.
The risks from these rapid changes in space weather and potential radiation exposure during flights is not currently fully understood or widely realised. Legislation and regulation for such enterprises is also in its infancy with little or no guidance for commercial entities or potential passengers. The initial works at the University of Surrey have focused on very high altitude ‘near space’ balloon flights. World-wide launch locations for flights have been modelled using MAIRE and CARI-7 computer programs. Flight routes have been monitored, for current commercial and higher flight levels, using the Smart Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation (SAIRA) detector. The modelled flight profiles have been compared with detector data, assessed for altitudes between 18km and 60km with varying space weather conditions, from norms to extreme events, to assess the radiation risk presented by potential exposure.