This is the conclusion of our interview with physicist and space radiation expert Jeff Chancellor.

Jeff is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Louisiana State University with research interests in applications of how heavy ion radiation interacts with soft and condensed matter for ground-based analogs, manned spaceflight vehicle structure, shielding, and clinical healthcare.

Part 3 of our interview starts with a discussion of options for radiation shielding of astronauts during interplanetary travel and while on the surface of either the moon or Mars. We’ll discuss how certain radiation risks may vary according to the solar cycle--- and then we’ll transition to radiation event risk prediction…. Which at best, is an evolving and still somewhat unpredictable discipline. We’ll learn about how NASA’s tolerance for radiation risk is evolving, particularly in relation to short-term risks to crew, and we’ll conclude with a few more provocative questions for Jeff.

If you are interested in reading the open-access review on space radiation that he and his colleagues have just published, check out the April 27, 2021 issue of Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part C, pages 113-128 for the article entitled, “Everything you wanted to know about space radiation but were afraid to ask.”