Radiation Can Be a Problem For Space Travel

There isn't, by definition, much of anything in space. For the most part, it is this emptiness that causes problems for space travel. Lack of oxygen, lack of resources, lack of options for rescue or resupply if any number of things were to go wrong. Radiation, however, is one of the things that there isn't a lack of, and this in turn causes its own problems for anyone looking to live and work in space. Astronauts, either aboard the International Space Station (ISS) or any possible future space travel that takes us even further from our home planet, will have to contend with the problems caused by radiation in space. There is of course a concern about the general health effects of the increased exposure to radiation, and whether it is possible to effectively protect astronauts from this exposure, and thereby extend the boundaries of how far we can safely travel from Earth. 

The ISS docked with the shuttle Endeavor

In an effort to solve these problems, or at least accumulate more information about the dangers inherent from radiation in space, Mirion Technologies took part in the ESA Active Dosimetry (or EuCPAD (European Crew Personal Active Dosimeter)) program, headed by the European Space Agency (ESA) and with contributions from companies across Europe. Below we'll provide more information on the nature of the problems, the solution that was developed, its results so far, and what it may mean for the future.

Making the distinction - Radiation safety vs. radiological security

In general, radiation safety is the pursuit of localizing, quantifying and limiting exposure to known sources of radiation. For example, in nuclear power plants, isotope manufacturing, or medical applications it is a given that workers will be exposed to radiation as part of their job. It is each institution's radiation safety officer's job to minimize their workers' exposure to radiation throughout the course of performing their jobs. This is most commonly done with a combination of dosimetry to monitor personnel exposure and survey meters or area monitors measuring the boundaries and strength of the radioactive area.

However, a completely different mindset is required when radiological security becomes the primary concern. In this case, the motivation is detecting any unknown and potentially dangerous sources of radiation. These illicit sources may in fact be intentionally shielded or obscured to inhibit detection or mask a serious threat. The ultimate goal in radiation security is to intercept these sources and prevent them from passing into secure locations or into the vicinity of the public. Applications could vary from anything as commonplace as making sure sources at a smoke detector manufacturer don't accidentally leave the premises, or as vital as protecting a border from individuals trying to smuggle special nuclear material across. For these roles, more sensitive and specialized detectors are required.

It is this radiological security mindset that guided the development of Mirion's SPIR product line. Versatile, intelligent, and highly sensitive, they utilize a combination of sensitive detector technology, sophisticated algorithms and software to provide a comprehensive suite of radiological detection and identification products.  

The Cutting Edge of Radiation Safety

Radiation safety isn’t always about a single device for a single use. Complex scenarios and events create multifaceted problems that require a more layered and calculated approach. Mirion has a long history of collaborating with outside agencies and other companies to tackle these larger problems, and come up with tangible, real world solutions.  Below we’ll detail one of the most recent of these projects: The ANCHORS-project.

Another Successful Year

The landmark 25th annual Mirion Training & Benchmarking Seminar was last month, and it was a resounding success!  We'd like to take some time to share some of our favorite moments and lessons learned with our attendees, and to start looking ahead for next year's 26th Seminar.

Growing from a small customer meeting in 1991 with around twenty attendees, this year's meeting had a new-record 147 attendees from over a dozen different countries. It was a large and diverse group of industry professionals we were privileged to have gathered with us in Ft Lauderdale.  We kept them busy as well, with almost triple the amount of training courses from previous years, diversifying and specializing into smaller training sections in order to better provide valuable content to our Seminar attendees.  

Before the conference, we’d reached out to our attendees to notify them about some of the new products that we’d be showcasing. Many of you that attended had a chance to see and operate some of these products, as well as provide us with valuable feedback.  We look forward to offering you even more hands-on operational experience with our equipment in the Training & Benchmarking Seminars in years to come.

Exploring the RDS-31

A variety of options for radiation detection

In a nuclear power plant, radiation detection can take many forms, from general area monitoring to specialized surveys of people or infrastructure.  This frequently results in the radiation detection equipment on site being as varied as the different types of surveys done.

Below we go into some of the ways that the RDS-31 can be utilized to address these problems.

Why is perimeter monitoring important?

Broadly speaking, radiation safety is about protecting the general public from areas with higher than normal radiation levels, and minimizing the exposure to the radiation workers. One of the keys to achieving this is the ability to know exactly what the radiation levels are at locations on and away from the site.  This becomes especially important when seeking to establish that radiation levels in areas off site do not exceed allowable limits.

Keep an eye out for the new Mirion products for 2015:

The Mirion Training and Benchmarking Seminar is upon us once again, this time for a memorable 25th year. We pride ourselves on having a long-standing tradition of offering people in the radiation protection field an opportunity to come directly to us for training and operational guidance, and an open forum to discuss industry changes and concerns.  

In addition to this, we'd like to invite our attendees to take a look at some of the new products that are being released this year, and that will be showcased at the conference. We have an exciting array of new items across several product lines, and we look forward both to the opportunity for you to provide feedback, and to gain familiarity with new tools and features before they're in the field.

These are some of the products that you can look forward to seeing:

The Evolution of Electronic Dosimetry

Working with or around radiation provides a host of concerns, and keeping track of occupationally exposed dose is one of the most fundamental priorities. The primary tool for this has long been the dosimeter, from dose of record badges to real-time electronic dosimetry.  Since their introduction, Electronic dosimeters have gained widespread adoption throughout the nuclear power industry along with various militaries, civil defense agencies, and health care providers. Over time they have proven to be very effective at giving the wearer constant awareness of their accumulated dose and dose rate, often providing a significant reduction in the exposure they would have received during the course of their jobs.

Exploring settings where sensitive detection can make a difference.

Previously, we discussed the basics of sensitive radiation detection using the Personal Radiation Detector. Below are a few scenarios to illustrate how this kind of device can be used either on its own or as part of a larger radiation security plan. Since the PRD is a small, easily used instrument for detecting low levels of radiation, it excels in a variety of settings where radiation safety and security are a concern.

In the radiation safety field, one of the most frequent questions we receive is "What are the differences between all of these types of detectors - and in what circumstances should i use each one?" Without an in-depth knowledge of health physics and radiation detection equipment, it can be a real challenge to tell the difference between equipment types. Especially with all of the acronyms and technical specifics that are tossed around.

Today we'll be trying to shed a little light on one commonly used type of instrument - the Personal Radiation Detector or PRD.