Space Weather

The proton flux between 61 and 92 MeV
as measured by PROBA-V/EPT at LEO

The service “Human Spaceflight: In-flight crew radiation exposure” aims to provide information which can be used to help estimate in-flight radiation doses. Radiation environments considered include Earth’s radiation belts, galactic cosmic rays, and solar energetic particles. This service is made possible by providing measurements and estimates of current local area radiation fluxes combined with spacecraft and human phantom shielding geometry models, as well as onboard passive or active dosimeter data (e.g. thermoluminescent dosimeters [TLDs], tissue equivalent proportional counters [TEPCs]). The service is intended for personnel involved in monitoring the radiation environment during crewed space missions.

This service is implemented through a combination of products, tools and alerts which can be found through the following tabs along with expert support provided by the teams constituting the ESA Space Weather Service Network. Should you require further guidance in the use of this service, or have specific questions about any aspects of the service presented here, don’t hesitate to contact the Helpdesk.

A number of models and in-orbit sensor datasets are provided with the help of products and tools such as:

• the RadSpace products provide information on the radiation environment and accumulated dose in human phantoms at ISS resulting from dedicated measurement campaigns;
• measurements and derived data products from the Energetic Particle Telescope (EPT) on PROBA-V;
• measurements and derived data products from the Standard Radiation Environment Monitors (SREM) on Proba-1, Integral, Rosetta, Herschel and Planck;
• the Space Weather Data Browsing and Analysis (SWE Data) is a web application that provides access to space weather environment data.

This service page is curated by the ESC Space Radiation. For further information, please contact SSCC Helpdesk.

Particle radiation in the form of Solar Energetic Particles and Galactic Cosmic Rays is considered the main hazard for human spaceflight, specifically when considering a potential return trip to the Moon or interplanetary travel in general. Even at Low Earth Orbit (LEO) like the International Space Station, particle radiation poses a risk as energetic particles can penetrate deep into the magnetosphere, in particular in the polar regions. Furthermore, spacecraft passing the Van Allen radiation belts need to take into account the increased radiation levels in these regions. Monitoring the space environment in (near-) real-time to evaluate the possible health effects of space particle radiation on humans is therefore necessary. This includes space environment data (e.g. particle radiation, solar X-ray and UV observations) and dose measurements.

The RadSpace products provide information on the radiation environment at the International Space Station (ISS) which can be harmful to the health of the ISS crewmembers. The data from the DOSIS and DOSIS 3D projects map the radiation environment inside the Columbus Laboratory based on passive and active radiation detectors.

Energetic particle flux measurements (electrons, protons and helium) from the Energetic Particle Telescope (EPT) on board PROBA-V at LEO can be accessed from the Products tab. A number of other particle radiation measurements are available through the Space Environment Data System (SEDAT) as well, although this tool is focussed on engineering analysis. Note that the particle fluxes need to be properly propagated through the Earth's magnetosphere if the user is interested in knowing the flux at a different altitude other than where the measurements were taken.

Measurements and detection of solar flares and coronal mass ejections are provided by the Solar Influences Data Analysis Center (SIDC) and the Kanzelhöhe Observatory (KSO).

A large set of measurements can also be accessed through the Space Weather Data Browsing and Analysis (SWE Data) web interface.

For further information, please contact SSCC Helpdesk. 

This section provides links to web pages or resources that are not part of the ESA Space Weather Service Network or esa.int domain.  These sites are not under ESA control, and therefore ESA is not responsible for any of the information or links that you may find there. 

Reference documents

• Directive 2013/59/Euratom Basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation.
• ECSS-E-ST-10-04C Space environment (15 June 2020)
• ECSS-E-ST-10-12C Method for the calculation of radiation received and its effects, and a policy for design margins (issued on 15 November 2008)
• ECSS-E-HB-10-12A Calculation of radiation and its effects and margin policy handbook (issued on 17 December 2010)