posted on Nov, 20 2007 @ 05:51 PM
ACTIVE SHIELDING CONCEPTS FOR THE IONIZING RADIATION IN SPACE
Much ado has been made by various groups about the radiation hazards Astronauts would face in Space
Well it may not be an issue...
Lets have a look at a NASA contractor report
Contract NASw-502 Final Report Rev. 31 Jan. 1964
Space Sciences Laboratory
Missile and Space Division
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Philadelphia, Pa.
Final Report
Contract NASw - 5 0 2
Period Covered: 1 Sept. 1962 - 31 Aug. 1963
Abstract:
Studies have been made on the problems of shielding a spacecraft from
ionizing radiation.Protons having energies between 100 and 1,000 MeV were taken as the radiation that should be excluded from the spacecraft's
crew.
An electromagnetic field system using a toroidal shaped spacecraft with a
confined magnetic field is shown to be the lightest among those treated.
In general, the active shield weight is only 20% that of the passive shield
for high energy protons and for large sizes of spacecraft. The shield with a confined field weighs 30% of that for a shield using an unconfined field.
If hatches are included, the use of spherical modules leads to spacecraft that are lighter than spheres, cylinders, or toruses. For spacecraft in the
shape of a torus, a passively shielded hatch is not required because there are no junctions between oppositely directed magnetic fields. In that case,
a spacecraft in the shape of a torus is lighter than the other shapes.
ntrs.nasa.gov...
Revised January 31, 1964
Mr Chechov! Raise Shields....
So THIS is where Gene Roddenberry got his material... Time frame is right on the mark