Shielding of Eight Polymers Against Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR) on Whole Body and Two Organs in the Martian Environment Using OLTARIS

The goal of this research is to develop in-space manufactured polymers that will shield against space radiation for humans and electronics. NASA plans to launch a nuclear reactor to the Moon in 2030. There will be energy available, in addition to the solar energy from the Sun, for curing polymers for Moon-to-Mars missions. The current research is to profile common polymers to understand their shielding against Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCR) on the Martian surface. Simulations were made using the NASA Langley developed On-Line Tool for the Assessment of Radiation In Space (OLTARIS) with water as the standard detector for tissue. Data were collected for the Effective Dose Equivalence (mSv/Day) versus Shield Thickness (Areal Density) in g/cm2 for eight polymer shields (polyacrylamide, polyaryl ether ketone (PAEK), polydimethylsiloxane, polyfluorinated ethylene propylene (Teflon), polyimide (Kapton), polytriethylene glycol divinyl ether, polyvinyl chloride (PVC unplasticized), and styrene butadiene co-polymer). Elemental aluminum was used for the reference. The best polymer for the whole body and the brain and lungs are given.