Space Radiation Transport & Applied Nuclear Physics Group
at Louisiana State University
Space Radiation Transport & Applied Nuclear Physics Group
at Louisiana State University
The research of the SpaRTAN laboratory is focused on understanding the impact space radiation has on both the health of human spaceflight crews and the resilience of space vehicle hardware systems. Both of these efforts require a multidisciplinary approach; and the group partners closely with radiobiologists, aerospace physicians, engineers, and applied scientists to develop novel methods for studying the interaction of the heavy-charged nuclei found in the cosmic ray spectrum with both soft and condensed matters. The SpaRTAN Physics group utilizes high-performance, multi-core computers and sophisticated numerical techniques in order to study these complex interaction dynamics that are otherwise difficult to replicate in a laboratory setting. Our computational outcomes are experimentally validated with measurements at beam line accelerators or by applying our models to results previously published in peer-reviewed literature. These efforts have led to novel approaches to simulating the complex space radiation environment and the development of more realistic ground-based space radiation analogs.
There are several technological barriers that lie ahead of humankind’s ability to send astronauts to Mars and eventually colonize the red planet. One of those barriers is space radiation and the threat it poses to astronauts during spaceflight.
SpaceX headquarters recently invited two LSU medical physics graduate students to present their research findings. Nousha Afshari and Jared Taylor traveled to Hawthorne, California to report on how radiation impacts the human body in outer space.
December 18, 2020. SpaRTAN Physics and Intuitive Machines executed a non-disclosure agreement to partner on spaceflight related research endeavors
October 14, 2020. SpaRTAN Physics and Geocent executed a non-disclosure agreement to partner on spaceflight related research endeavors
NASA's Human Research Program will fund 21 proposals to help answer questions about astronaut health and performance during future long-duration missions beyond low-Earth orbit.
LSU Assistant Professor Jeff Chancellor's research looks to help answer questions about astronaut health and performance during future long-duration missions beyond low-Earth orbit.
Long-duration space travel is an interest to space agencies worldwide. Achieving this feat will require the collaboration of STEM experts and other specialists. One challenge facing these experts is how to maintain the health and well-being of astronauts as they are exposed to space radiation.
Radiation exposure from two months on the moon is equivalent to roughly five months on the ISS
LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy graduate student Megan Chesal and undergraduate Haley Pellegrin have been granted Louisiana Space Grant student research awards.
Other researchers dispute whether astronauts would experience the type of radiation used in the experiment.
But there are quite a few issues to consider. Richard A Lovett reports.
On May 10, the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) recognized individuals from the Human Health and Performance (HH&P) Directorate at NASA’s Johnson Space Center for their contributions to medical research and work in the human spaceflight community. Recipients of each award all played a key role in advancing the art and science of aerospace medicine.