Researchers from Sintef are developing a microsensor that can measure the effect radiation has on the bodies of astronauts who go to the moon.
The work has been carried out together with researchers from the University of Wollongong in Australia.
The sensor measures the radiation astronauts are exposed to during space travel and the radiation’s effect on the body.
“The sensor, which is made of silicon, is encapsulated in a biological material that mimics human tissue,” researcher Angela Kok, who has developed the sensor’s measurement technology together with research colleague Marco Povoli at Sintef MiNaLab, noted in a press release.
How it works
That means that the sensor will perceive the rays in the same way as the cells do. With the help of certain algorithms, it is possible to calculate the exact damage that the radiation inflicts on the body all the way down to the cell level, she stated.
According to Nasa, an astronaut can be exposed to anything from 50-2000 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation during a six-month spaceflight expedition.
The researchers originally developed the sensor for use in proton beam radiation treatment of cancer before the European Space Agency became interested in it. Over the next two years, the researchers will develop a prototype and test it in radiation labs.
Today, astronauts use dosimeters to measure radiation, but they cannot measure the damage to cells.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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