On ‎7‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 2:31 PM, fluffyflops said:

Maybe if buzz and Neil where alive they could tell us what is like to go through the van Allen belts as to this day no one can explain that little minor part either. 

 

First off, radiation is something often misunderstood to be some kind of magical destructive beam/ray that cuts through anything, but that is absolute nonsense.

There is alpha radiation which is basically ionized helium particles which can be stopped by a sheet of paper.

There is beta radiation which is simply high energy electrons which do tend to have a more dangerous (ionizing) effect on the human body, but since they are electrons they are easily stopped by anything metal (the Apollo capsules were basically Faraday cages).

There is gamma radiation (which is basically high frequency photons of light, like UV or X-rays but much higher frequency than either). These are a bit tougher to shield against (light metals don't provide the same shielding as lead), but in our solar system, these only come from radioactive sources, terrestrial gamma ray flashes from thunderstorms, and highly effusive solar flares. They aren't present in the van Allen belts.

Finally, there is cosmic radiation, which is simply high energy hydrogen and helium ions, which again are easily shielded against by anything metal and/or magnetic. Hence the existence of the van Allen belts, which are basically ionized hydrogen/helium trapped by the earth's magnetic field. The Apollo astronauts avoided the inner belts (which had the highest intensities) and were only in the outer belts for a very short time due to their high speed. As such, they received less radiation than atomic energy workers receive over a year at nuclear power plants. Was basically equivalent to receiving a CT scan or a couple X-Rays. If one of the astronauts smoked, and was forced to quit due to mission requirements, they would have come back with a far lower risk of cancer, than if they had remained on earth.

The newer Orion capsule doesn't quite have the same shielding capability (the use of composites decreases the Faraday cage effect) as the old Apollo capsules which were all metal. So it is a bit more of a concern now compared to back then. 

 

Edited July 19, 20196 yr by JB3DG

On 7/18/2019 at 5:29 PM, 188AHC said:

I was fortunate enough to be able to watch pretty much all the launches during the 60s from my front yard. 

In later years up to this day I watch them from my back yard. I especially like the night launches. 

You all can experience Apollo 11 first hand in flight sim scenery like you have never experienced before.  Jump over to the Aerofly FS2 forum and check it out.  A thousand sq miles of new high definition scenery and a thousand new custom objects. Witness The spacecraft in orbit and follow it     through reentry and splashdown.  Land your F-18 or helicopter on the USS Ranger aircraft carrier.  Other exciting Easter eggs.

Regards,

Ray

The Eagle Has Landed 

50 years now 😎

Edited July 20, 20196 yr by Matthew Kane

I saw it too on live TV; with my dad who was hugging me. I vividly remember the Quindar tones. As most of the world`s events in that time period were tragedies the Mercury and Apollo Programs were a source of hope. I`m so glad that we`re going back. I`m not sure about the Artemis 1 and Artemis 2 being on schedule and there are funding issues; but it`s good to hear yesterday that Orion spacecraft is ready. Hopefully it will launch on a Falcon Heavy or Delta IV Heavy next year or in 2021. And if China/Russia doesn`t go back before NASA/ESA, we should land the First Woman (and a another guy) sometime between 2024-2030. God willing, I'll see that too. But even if I don't; I will have lived in interesting times.