StemRad's AstroRad radiation-shielding vest was successfully flown to the Moon and back aboard NASA's Artemis I mission, proving its viability for astronaut protection during solar storms. Flight data showed the vest performs roughly as well as the Orion spacecraft's heavily shielded storm shelter, marking a shift from shielding entire spacecraft to protecting individual astronauts.
Background
Solar storms pose a major radiation hazard to astronauts beyond Earth's protective magnetic field, and spacecraft mass constraints have limited traditional shielding approaches. NASA's Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually send them to Mars.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Aug 13, 2026 at 09:48 PM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10