![]() ![]() The Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field, largely protect life on the planet from cosmic radiation. While these might all be possible concerns, remote or otherwise, the greatest real danger to astronauts may in fact be one that cannot be seen: space radiation. Depending on which Hollywood sci-fi thrillers you choose, these intrepid explorers are at the mercy of malicious aliens, psychotic computers, or collisions with asteroids or space debris. This website provides information to air carrier crew members about radiation exposure while flying.During the course of a deep space mission, astronauts are routinely in various degrees of peril. The AFA-CWA provides information for flight attendants, like information about in-flight radiation. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) Learn more about how our Sun produces cosmic radiation. ![]() NASA studies everything in the galaxy, from our sun to the limits of the universe. National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) Learn about space weather, current conditions and the latest news. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center – Space Weather Toolkit NOAA studies a variety of different topics, including space weather, like sunspots and other solar events. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) This technical document provides information on the FAA's Solar Radiation Alert System. Solar Radiation Alert System (PDF) (28 pp, 977 K, About PDF) This webpage contains links to several articles about radiation and airline travel and a link to CARI-6 and CARI-6m, the FAA's cosmic radiation dose calculators. The FAA tracks solar radiation, since it can interfere with some instrumentation onboard aircraft. Cosmic radiation makes up only a small portion of the radiation that we are exposed to every year. Cosmic radiation is part of the natural radiation that we are exposed to all the time. The FAA also developed a computer software program that estimates radiation exposure from flights. During solar events, the FAA sends out a Solar Radiation Alert so pilots can fly at lower elevations to reduce exposure. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) tracks crew members’ exposure to cosmic radiation and uses a long-term calculation to estimate their total dose. However, airline crew members need to consider their flying time more carefully. Most people do not fly frequently enough to add a significant amount to their total radiation dose. In the United States, the average dose of radiation people receive is 620 mrem (6.2 mSv) per year. If you are curious about your estimated dose of radiation from ionizing radiation, please visit our Dose Calculator. The radiation from two cross-country flights is about equal to the radiation dose from a single chest x-ray. If we take a one-way flight across the country (New York to Los Angeles), we likely receive 2-5 millirem (mrem), or 0.02-0.05 millisieverts (mSv), of radiation. Two of the most important factors are altitude and length of the flight. The amount of cosmic radiation we receive during flights depends on many things. With less atmosphere to protect us, we are exposed to more cosmic radiation than when we are standing on the ground. When we fly in an airplane, we are closer to outer space. Source: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Īnother factor in our exposure to cosmic radiation is the number and length of airline flights we take. A plane takes off on a lighted airstrip the ground surrounding is covered in snow. ![]()
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