Nivin Suresh

Types of Space Radiation & Its Effects on Humans

Started Oct. 5, 2023

Abstract or project description

My research is about the effects of space radiation on Earth’s magnetosphere and if it will eventually lead to an increased risk to life on Earth. My motivation to do research on this topic is from my passion to learn about space and to one day design a rocket ship. I chose this topic specifically because I realized that space exploration isn’t just getting on a space shuttle and blasting off. Instead, there are multiple difficulties and obstacles that astronauts need to get through, the main one being radiation. Even the engineers have to think about the effects of radiation because it can affect the electrical components of the shuttle, which could cause the spacecraft to crash on planets causing serious harm to the astronauts aboard it. Damaged electrical components could also leave the spacecraft stuck in space drifting resulting in injury of the people aboard, and waste of money and time because the ship is gone. My hypothesis is that space radiation from the Sun is the main factor for space radiation in our solar system and that it will eventually get enough particles past the magnetosphere to seriously affect Earth. This is because the Sun is the closest, and it occasionally releases massive bursts of radiation particles, some of which almost make it through the magnetosphere, but for now it can prevent space radiation particles from entering the atmosphere.