Weighting for a cosmic radiation breakthrough

An advanced material originally developed to shield medical staff from harmful levels of radiation could be used to cut the weight of space vehicles and aircraft, claims its developer.

The material, formulated by researchers at Germany’s Bayer MaterialScience, is being used in the development of lightweight replacements for the lead aprons worn by radiographers.

But Bayer’s Dr Heinz Pudleiner said it could eventually be used in aerospace applications to protect aircraft passengers and astronauts from cosmic radiation.

Aluminium is currently used as cosmic radiation shielding, but Pudleiner claimed that the new material, an additive powder based on rare Earth elements, promises to provide the same level of protection — at a third of the weight.

Cosmic radiation is a mixture of different forms of radiation generated by the sun and the stars. While the majority of radiation reaching Earth is deflected by its magnetic field, the intensity of the radiation increases significantly outside the reach of the planet’s magnetic field — where it poses something of a risk for astronauts and can cause malfunctions in electronic systems.