StemRad's Radiation-Blocking Vest Tested on Artemis I Lunar Mission
StemRad's AstroRad vest, flown to the Moon and back on the Artemis I mission, demonstrated potential for protecting astronauts from space radiation.
Israeli-American startup StemRad has tested its wearable radiation-blocking vest, AstroRad, on NASA's uncrewed Artemis I mission, which orbited the Moon. The vest is designed to shield astronauts from harmful space radiation, particularly during solar storms.
Solar storms can emit intense proton bursts that increase astronauts' cancer risk or cause radiation sickness. While Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field provide protection on the ground, this shield is absent in space. StemRad's approach focuses on personal protection for the astronaut rather than shielding the entire spacecraft.
Data collected from the vest's journey to and from the Moon were analyzed to estimate its performance. Calculations suggest the AstroRad vest would offer protection roughly equivalent to the heavily shielded onboard shelter astronauts were intended to use in the Orion spacecraft during a storm.
According to CEO Oren Milstein, the results indicate that personal radiation shielding is a viable solution for future lunar and Martian missions, which require more robust protection than current spacecraft provide.