SPACE RADIATION
Space is full of lethal energies we’re not exposed to on Earth. How can astronauts protect themselves?
WORDSAILSA HARVEY
R adiation is all around us – it’s a form of energy that travels in electromagnetic waves or particles. Visible light, for example, is a form of electromagnetic radiation. This is less energetic and almost completely harmless to your body compared to ultraviolet (UV) light. But in space there are forms of radiation that are different to what we come into contact with on Earth. Cosmic radiation comes in three varieties: particles that are trapped in Earth’s magnetic field, particles emitted from the Sun during solar flares and galactic cosmic rays – high-energy protons and heavy ions from outside the Solar System. Space radiation is classified as ionising radiation. This means it has enough energy to alter any atom it comes into contact with by breaking an electron away from it.