For astronauts soaring through the limitless expanse of deep space, cosmic rays pose a major problem. The powerful radiation that pulses just above Earth’s atmosphere can have devastating effects on human beings, imperiling any crewed mission beyond the safety of the planet’s magnetic field.
Now, Florida State University researcher Michael Delp is part of a new team working to surmount this critical obstacle to human exploration of space. As part of a $17.7 million NASA research initiative, he and a group of scientists from around the country are set to explore questions of astronaut health and performance during extended missions outside of low-Earth orbit.