A study of lens opacification for a Mars missionA method based on risk-related cross sections is used to estimate risks of 'stationary' cataracts caused by radiation exposures during extended missions in deep space. Estimates of the even more important risk of late degenerative cataractogenesis are made on the basis of the limited data available. Data on lenticular opacification in the New Zealand white rabbit, an animal model from which such results can be extrapolated to humans, are analyzed by the Langley cosmic ray shielding code (HZETRN) to generate estimates of stationary cataract formation resulting from a Mars mission. The effects of the composition of shielding material and the relationship between risk and LET are given, and the effects of target fragmentation on the risk coefficients are evaluated explicitly.
Document ID
19920039146
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Shinn, J. L. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Wilson, J. W. (NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Cox, A. B. (USAF, School of Aerospace Medicine, Radiation Science Div., Brooks AFB TX, United States)
Lett, J. T. (Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO, United States)