Moon Hoax Debate - The Radiation Issue

[ProfWag]

[Misha]

[Arouet]

Guys - let's try and keep this thread on topic. Money and Nazi's can be discussed in the main thread.

Hmmm- experiment failing so far!

[Misha]

[SydneyPSIder]

[Misha]

Ok, here's a question that concerns me with the radiation problems with Apollo. If radiation is a factor besides the Van Allen belts, especially beta and gamma radiation. How could NASA know or rather risk the lives of the Apollo astronauts when it comes to SPEs (Solar Particle Events) while going to the moon? In other words, solar flares. Do you think this is equivalent to playing Russian roulette with going to the moon regarding unpredictable solar activity? Would it not have been disastrous for the Apollo program if we lost astronauts to SPEs? What did NASA do to safe guard the astronauts from being killed by something we cannot even predict today?

I do not want to get into cut and pasting solar activity information during the Apollo flights. You guys can probably find the data if you so wish. I think this is a logical question to ask and look forward to your replies.

[Arouet]

They are good questions, Misha, and good for us to try and answer. Let's frame the main question a little more: you ask is it like russian roulette? Well, the odds in russian roulette of disaster are pretty high, 1 in 5 or 6 generally. Was the risk of a major solar flare anywhere close to that? I think all astronauts accept a certain degree of risk when they embark on such a mission. They know there is a non-zero chance they will never come back. Of course, there is a non-zero chance we will never come back every time we leave the house.

The question then becomes: how much risk is acceptable? Of all the solar flares that could occur during a mission, how many could be expected to be dangerous? If a dangerous solar flare occurred during the mission, how likely would it be to pass over the ship? Is there any prior warning to the emission of a dangerous solar flare? What were the odds of a dangerous solar flare passing over the ship?

[Misha]

[Arouet]

Ok, but we need to figure out first what level of risk we're prepared to accept? Do we compare it to the level of risk of a police officer? A fire fighter? A pilot? A soldier? A miner? A stuntman? A racecar driver?

[Misha]

[really?]

BIOMEDICAL RESULTS OF APOLLO

SECTION II CHAPTER 3
RADIATION PROTECTION AND INSTRUMENTATION

by J. Vernon Bailey

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/books/apollo/S2ch3.htm

[Misha]

[Arouet]

[really?]

[Misha]

Arouet and Really. Are you guys satisfied with NASA's explanation and risk analysis of the Apollo radiation question? Really, you posted that "solar flares are unpredictable" and yet we have had eight missions (off the top of my head) to the moon without one astronaut having at least one complication do to radiation that I know of. Keep in mind that the Apollo missions took place in and around the solar maximum which occurs every eleven years. You guys can find the Apollo/Solar maximum information for clarity.