Project Grant NNX17AL10H

RADIATION FROM GCRS AND SOLAR FLARES PROVIDE A HOSTILE IONIZING ENVIRONMENT FOR PERSONNEL AND VITAL ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS. THE EFFECTS OF THISENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN A TOPIC OF RESEARCH FOR MANY YEARS. ISSUES INCLUDE THE EXPOSURE FOR HUMANS UNDER ACUTE AND CONTINUOUS EXPOSURES AND THERADIOGENIC CANCER RISK THAT RISES WITH TOTAL DOSE AND IS A LIMITING CONSTRAINT ON LONGDURATIONMISSIONS. THE PROPOSED METAL ALLOY DEVELOPMENTPRODUCES A MATERIAL THAT IS MULTIFUNCTIONALAND LIGHTWEIGHTFOR DEEP SPACE MISSIONS. THE TARGET MATERIAL HAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN MASS ANDPOTENTIALLY VOLUME FOR PROTECTIVE PERFORMANCE SUCH AS RADIATION AND DEBRIS SHIELDING APPLICATIONS AS WELL AS POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE THERMALLY ANDACOUSTICALLY. DEVELOPMENT OF THESE NEW MG ALLOYS WILL IMPROVE THE MARGIN AND OVERALL RISK ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THESE SCENARIOS BY IMPROVING THESHIELDING PERFORMANCE AND PROVIDES A REDUCTION IN THE LIKELIHOOD OF ELECTRONIC COMPONENT FAILURE OCCURRENCE AS WELL AS A REDUCTION IN CONSEQUENCE.EQUALLY IMPORTANT THIS WILL REDUCE THE RISK OF CANCER TO PERSONNEL FROM RADIATION EXPOSURE. WITH RESPECT TO ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS THE SYSTEMS THATPROVIDE LIFE SUPPORT AND ARE CONSIDERED CRITICAL SYSTEMS ARE VULNERABLE TO THE IONIZING RADIATION EFFECTS AS WELL. ONCE THE "HEAVY" PARTICLES PENETRATETHE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS SHORTS ARE CREATED IN WORST CASE CONDITIONS AND PROVIDE TEMPORARY UPSETS IN THE BEST CONDITIONS. SIMILARLY THOSE ELECTRONICSYSTEMS THAT ARE CONSIDERED NONCRITICAL SIMILAR EFFECTS ARE SEEN BUT HAVE CONSEQUENCES THAT EFFECT THE MISSION ASSURANCE ASPECTS. BY REPLACINGEXISTING METALLIC COMPONENTS WITH APPROPRIATE MG ALLOYS SUCH AS THE ONES FROM THIS PROJECT BOTH VEHICLE WEIGHT AND CREW DOSE RATE CAN BE REDUCED.THE OPERATIONAL BENEFITS OF SUCH A CHANGE ARE MANIFOLD. FOR EXAMPLE WEIGHT CAN BE REPLACED WITH FUEL TO ACHIEVE GREATER VEHICLE VELOCITY.ALTERNATIVELY MISSION DURATION COULD BE EXTENDED WHILE OPERATING WITHIN EQUIVALENT DOSE LIMITS.