Space Weather and its Planetary Connection:

Future Interplanetary TravelNorma B. Crosby1 and Volker Bothmer2

1 Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Belgium 2 Institute for Astrophysics, University of Göttingen, Germany

Credits: ESA

Ideal platform to link traditional near-Earth space weather studies to planetary studies - in this way the workshop session “MA4 Interplanetary Space Weather and its Planetary Connection” was organized (N. Crosby and V. Bothmer):

- Oral presentations: 14:30-16:30- Coffee/Tea break: 16:30-17:00- Discussions [ brainstorming session ]: 17:00-19:00

The first “European Planetary Science Congress” was held in Berlin, Germany from 18 to 22 September 2006, its aim being to cover a broad area of science topics related to planetary science and planetary missions.

http://meetings.copernicus.org/epsc2006/index.html

MA4 Oral Presentations

Solicited Talks:

Solar Energetic Particles: the Current Status of their Origin and Space Weather Effects (Mikhail Panasyuk)

Radiation Protection for Manned Interplanetary Missions – Radiation Sources, Risks, Remedies (Rainer Facius)

Contributed Talks:

The Relationship of Satellite Anomalies and Launch Failures to the Space Weather (Natalia Romanova)

Galactic Cosmic Ray Composition, Spectra, and Time Variations (Mark Wiedenbeck)

Space Weather Effects on the Mars Ionosphere due to Solar Flares and Meteors (Paul Withers)

Session MA4 – Brainstorming Session from 17:00-19:00 Today in Lecture Room: Straßburg

Interplanetary Space Radiation environments Technical and biological effects Timescales of radiation exposure as a function of energy

and effect (technical and biological).

Atmospheres on other Planets With/without magnetospheres.

Mitigation Techniques Shielding (in space and on other planets) Forecasting Detector technology.

Why go Interplanetary ?

Manned missions to other planets

Colonies on other planets (e.g. Mars)

Mining on other planets, moons, asteroids

Space tourism - Space hotels

Terra-forming

Transportation technology development(propulsion, nuclear, etc.).

For interplanetary travel a strong understanding of space weather is essential.

interplanetary space weather (inter-disciplinary) supports all space weather projects

one form of space weather research can not live without the other (they complement each other).

Why go Interplanetary ? –

cont.

Our location in the solar system.

Behavior of the Sun,

Nature of Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere.

http://www.nineplanets.org/

Earth’s magnetic field shields us against high-

energetic particles.

Images from NASA

Space Weather from Earth’s Perspective

The Perils of Interplanetary Travel

1. Earth’s Radiation Belts

2. GalacticCosmic Rays

3. SolarProton Events

Courtesy of NASA's Solar Connections Home Page.

AURORA Programme. Courtesy of ESA.

The Perils of Interplanetary Travel

The Perils of Interplanetary Travel

Major Radiation Environments in our Heliosphere

ParticlePopulations

EnergyRange

TemporalRange

Spatial Range(first order)

Galactic Cosmic Rays GeV - TeV Continuous Entire heliosphere

Anomalous Cosmic Rays < 100 MeV Continuous Entire heliosphere

Solar Energetic Particles keV-GeV Sporadic (minutes to days)

Source region properties (CME evolution) and bound to

CME driven shock

Energetic Storm Particles keV-(>10 MeV) Hours-Day Bound to shock

Corotating Interaction Regions

keV-MeV few days(recurrent)

Bound to CIR shock and compression region

Particles accelerated at Planetary Bow Shocks

keV-MeV Continuous Bound to bow shock

Trapped Particle Populations

eV-couple of hundreds of MeV

Variations “minutes-years”

Variations“height-width”

- Electromagnetic radiation (e.g. UV, X-ray, γ-ray)- Plasma (energetic (keV) and low-energy (eV))- Neutrals (Space debris and meteoriods)

Avoiding Space Weather HazardsThere exists various

approaches:

1. Space Weather Forecasting « Warning Guidance »2. Mitigation shielding3. Hazard Assessment

(EXCESSIVE MASS, SIZE and COST)

The key of understanding radiation protection requires knowledge about the space environment and particle interaction with shielding materials. An important issues concerning shielding is the problem of secondary radiation in materials.

- New forms of shielding materials are imagined and more impetus should be placed on polymer research in regard to the development of resistant light weight shielding.

- Of course the faster the trip the better, i.e. development of innovative transportation technologies and new propulsion systems as well as orbit optimization are highly important.

Spacecraft shielding requirements, including space storm shelters, both on the spacecraft as well as radiation protection facilities on the target (e.g. Moon, planet), need to be taken into consideration with respect to travel time, local target space weather conditions and the phase of the solar cycle.

It is therefore recommended, especially for a flight to Mars to implement onboard forecasting capabilities.

Avoiding Space Weather Hazards

Timing of an Interplanetary Space Mission

The biological effect of a radiation dose received over the time period of a week is less dangerous than if the same dose is received instantaneously (e.g. in a few hours).

Long-term radiation effects (5-30 years after) from exposure are still not known.

The ultimate goal is to minimize radiation health effects by maximizing orbit parameters and shielding.

Avoiding Space Weather Hazards

Feasibility to use and Integrate Existing SystemsFour parameters describing the scenario:    telecommunications (signal travel time, 3.1 up to 22.2 min.)

   Target’s position (e.g. Mars) with respect to Sun and Earth

Estimation of solar energetic particle event hazards

Mars-Earth phasing (56 – 400 million km).

(Glasstone, 1968)

Requirements for the detection of back-sided CMEs (tentative particle events) when Mars is on the farside

of the Sun:

Space-based coronograph observations from ISS type observatories,

LEO, L1 or STEREO-like orbits (during some phases of the solar cycle

back-sided CME source regions may be located via helioseimological

techniques).Courtesy of SWAN/SOHO.

Effective forecasting capabilities are important for short-term objectives such as being able to predict a solar energetic particle event before an astronaut exits the protection of a spacecraft.

On the other hand space weather monitoring is essential for the understanding of the long-term variations observed in the space environment – the “space climate”. This type of information is extremely important in the designing of spacecraft - assurance of operational safety.

Feasibility to use and Integrate Existing Systems

While envisioned manned modules for future space missions to Mars are generally equipped with shielded astronaut shelters, adequate warning is necessary for these to be useful.

SPE GO TO SHELTER

SPE HELP !

Once our target has been reached, it is important to know the local near-target space weather environment. Planets without a substantial internal magnetic field such as Mars are for example not shielding energetic particles such as Earth does.

For any colony on Mars the mitigation of such particles will be vital for the health of people staying for extended periods of time.

Like on Earth, enhanced ionization due to solar radiation (UV and X-ray) in a target’s atmosphere may cause communications problems.

Target Space Weather Conditions

There are differences between near-Earth space weather and the local space weather on targets elsewhere in our solar system. However, space weather knowledge is fundamental for helio-space weather conditions.

Different scientific communities need to interact with each other.

It is important that more interaction between the traditional planet and solar-terrestrial physics communities occurs in the future. This is possible not only by collaborating on projects but also by participating in each others meetings.

Final Words

AcknowledgementsLouis J. LanzerottiEditor AGU Space Weather Journal

• Mikhail PanasyukSkobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics of Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

• Rainer FaciusDLR, German Aerospace Center, Inst. of Aerospace Medicine, Division Radiation Biology, Cologne, Germany

• Natalia RomanovaInstitute of the Physics of the Earth, Moscow, Russia

• Mark WiedenbeckJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, California, USA

• Moussas XenophonUniversity of Athens, Laboratory of Astrophysics, Athens, Greece

• Jean-Mathias GreissmeierObservatoire de Meudon, Meudon, France

SPACE HOTEL21-11-2036

------------------------------

CUSTOMER COPY

RECEIPT

The Perils of Interplanetary Travel

Photo courtesy Space Island Group

Space hotels might one day become popular vacation spots.