A Review of Magnetic Shielding Technology for Space Radiation

Abstract

The space radiation environment outside the protection of the Earth’s magnetosphere is severe and difficult to shield against. The cumulative effective dose to astronauts on a typical Mars mission would likely introduce risk exceeding permissible limits for carcinogenesis without innovative strategies for radiation shielding. Damaging cardiovascular and central nervous system effects are also expected in these space environments. There are many potential options for advanced shielding and risk mitigation, but magnetic shielding using superconductors offers several distinct advantages including using the conditions in space to help maintain the superconductor’s critical temperature and lower mass compared to equivalent passive shielding materials. Despite these advantages, the development of magnetic shielding technology has remained primarily in conceptual stages since the introduction of the idea in 1961. Over the last several decades, magnetic shielding has experienced periods of high and low attention by the human spaceflight community, leading to computational tools with single-use or other limitations and a non-uniform distribution of publications on the topic over time. Within the context of technology development and the surrounding space policy environment, this paper reviews and summarizes the available literature on the application of active magnetic shielding for space radiation protection, identifies challenges, and highlights areas for future research.

Hypomagnetic Conditions and Their Biological Action (Review)

“…Given the above, future space missions will be impossible without technology for protection from cosmic radiation, including the creation of artificial magnetic fields. Such technologies have been actively developed and partially implemented since the 1960s [142]. The main purpose is to protect equipment and crew from the destructive effects of cosmic radiation [143,144].…”