Matroshka-2 Kibô: Passive Thermoluminescence Dosimetry

15.08.2011 - 30.06.2012
Research funding project
Accomplishments in engineering over the past century have provided unprecedented opportunities for people to travel away from our home planet and explore the universe. Human exposure to cosmic radiation has been identified as a major health hazard and probably the most essential constraint for space travellers on long-duration flights on board the ISS, the establishment of human outposts on other celestial bodies of the solar system or future missions of exploration into outer space. One of the foremost objectives of space radiation dosimetry is to serve as a solid basis for risk assessment for acute radiation syndromes and cosmic ray-induced late effects such as cancer, even if the radiobiology associated with these unique radiation fields to a considerable amount is still unknown. The use of dedicated phantoms, simulating an astronaut’s body, provides a detailed mapping of dose distribution that is essential for evaluating the doses absorbed in different organs and tissues. Matroshka is an Alderson Rando™ anthropomorphic upper torso developed within the ESA ELIPS programme, with a natural human skeleton cast inside a proprietary urethane formulation that is radiologically equivalent to soft tissue. The facility, which has been exposed since 2004 in the Russian Segment of the ISS, shall simulate an astronaut during intra- and extravehicular activity and determine the distribution of absorbed radiation dose and quality at the sites of vital organs and tissues by means of dedicated sensors. The Vienna University of Technology provides roughly a quarter of the employed 4,800 TL dosimeters, which are allocated in a regular grid throughout the phantom body. On 4 May 2010, Matroshka has been transferred to the Japanese Experiment Module and installed in the Life Science Payload Rack F2 of the Kibō Pressurized Module, where it will be exposed to cosmic radiation for a period of one year. The experiment is aimed at determining empirical relations between measurable quantities in personal dosimetry and tissue absorbed doses in a life-size human phantom in order to improve projection of radiation-induced stochastic risks, most notably induction of solid cancers. The experiment is carried out as a joint venture between ESA, JAXA and Roscosmos under coordination of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), with twenty-one renowned scientific institutions participating.

People

Project leader

Project personnel

Institute

Grant funds

  • ESA / ESTEC (EU) European Space Agency (ESA) Call identifier RfQ 3-13359/11/NL/FC

Research focus

  • Biological and Bioactive Materials: 50%
  • Sustainable Production and Technologies: 50%

Keywords

GermanEnglish
Kosmische StrahlungCosmic radiation
MatroshkaMatroshka
PhantomkörperPhantom body
StrahlenschutzHealth physics
ThermolumineszenzThermoluminescence

External partner

  • Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt
  • European Space Research and Technology Centre

Publications