The Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon after more than 50 years. In this mission, NASA wants the first female astronaut to set foot on the Moon. However, according to a study, women have different radiation limit levels than men.
Radiation studies show that women have a higher risk of causing cancer. In addition, other research has revealed that space radiation is likely to adversely affect women’s reproductive health. NASA decided to follow a different path to investigate this situation.
Helga and The Zohar are up for the task!
Two artificial mannequins, Helga and Zohar, will go on a journey around the Moon to measure the radiation levels of female astronauts. In the Artemis 1 mission, where the uncrewed Orion capsule will travel to and from the Moon, one of the dummies will be equipped with a newly developed radiation protection vest. Thus, the effects of radiation can be seen comparatively.
There is very little data on radiation levels in men and women. As NASA prepares to send female astronauts to the Moon before 2025, it is looking for ways to reduce the effects of space radiation for its crew on long journeys.
Helga and Zohar are part of the MARE experiment designed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The experiment will use two identical representations of the female body to investigate radiation exposure during the flight of the Artemis 1 mission, which can take up to six weeks.
Mimics the bones and tissues of an adult woman!
Mannequins were made from materials that mimic the bones, soft tissues and organs of an adult woman. The mannequins, which will be monitored by more than 10 thousand sensors and 34 active radiation detectors, will present important data about radiation to NASA.
The mannequin named Helga will fly to the Moon without protection. The other model, Zohar, will wear a radiation protection vest called AstroRad (developed by American aerospace company Lockheed Martin and Israeli startup StemRad).
Mannequins that will go beyond the Earth’s magnetosphere protective layer will be exposed to various space radiations, such as charged particles produced by the Sun or energy particles trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. Once back on Earth, data collected from the two dummies will help researchers better understand the level of protection afforded by the newly developed AstroRad vest.
The mannequins are expected to begin their journey towards the Moon this summer. So what do you think about NASA’s female models? You can share your views with us in the comments section or on the SDN Forum.
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