NASA’s Artemis I mission reveals surprising radiation levels near the Moon

NASA’s Artemis I mission revealed that cosmic radiation near the Moon is higher than in Earth orbit, but not by as much as scientists might expect. Tiny experimental detectors also uncovered surprising details about how radiation passes through the human body, offering valuable insights for future lunar exploration. NASA’s Artemis I mission reveals surprising radiation levels near the Moon.

Using experimental detectors made from lithium fluoride crystals aboard the Orion spacecraft, researchers have obtained preliminary measurements that reveal unexpected differences in radiation exposure between the two environments. During the uncrewed Artemis I mission in late November and early December 2022, Orion traveled around the Moon carrying more than 10,000 tiny crystals embedded inside two human-shaped mannequins. These devices recorded radiation exposure throughout the journey.

Among them were several dozen experimental fluorescent lithium fluoride detectors created by scientists at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN) in Cracow. The researchers have now described a new method for analyzing the information stored in these crystals, offering insights into both cosmic radiation levels and the performance of the detectors. Their findings were published in the journal Radiation Measurements.