A new type of vest intended to let women remain in space longer will be tested as part of NASA’s Artemis 1 mission to the moon, which is scheduled to launch on Monday.
According to CNN, the Israeli Space Agency, German Aerospace Center, and NASA collaboratively developed the AstroRad vest better to protect astronauts, particularly women, from hazardous radiation. Beyond low Earth orbit, astronauts are exposed to harmful radiation, particularly during solar storms, and the risk is the greatest while on the moon due to poor air shielding.
According to the paper, research has indicated that this may be more hazardous for organs like the breasts and ovaries, which is why a particular vest is required. The 42-day journey to the far side of the Moon and return is planned for NASA’s Artemis 1, which bears the name of a Greek goddess of the moon.
Three dummies are being transported on the voyage in order to collect crucial scientific information for upcoming crewed moon missions. The primary doll is known as “Moonikin Campos,” after a renowned NASA engineer. It will travel with two other dummies, Helga and Zohar, one of whom will be outfitted with a radiation vest.
At the Kennedy Space Center at Florida’s Launch Complex 39B, the massive Space Launch System rocket will take off for the first time.
At the closest approach, the crew capsule Orion will travel around 100 kilometres and arrive at the Moon after several days. Future human flights on Orion will be fueled by a service module made by the European Space Agency. Orion will start its return trip to Earth after passing past the Moon and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
The main goal of the Artemis mission is to evaluate how well the biggest heat shield ever built will perform upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
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