For this week’s blog post we’re going to take a more detailed look at the Van Allen Belts and what this means for the future of space travel!
As previously introduced, the Van Allen Belts are composed of ionizing radiation which originate from sources such as galactic cosmic rays and solar storms (NASA, 2024). This radiation becomes trapped in Earth's magnetosphere, which protects us from harmful radiation exposure by forcing the trapped particles to travel along Earth’s magnetic field lines instead of onto the planet's surface (Li and Hudson, 2019). Two belts of radiation are consequently formed and are collectively named the Van Allen Belts after astrophysicist James Van Allen who first discovered their existence in 1958 (NASA, 2024). The outer belt, known as the electron belt, contains particles which originate from the sun, while the inner belt or proton belt is created from interactions between cosmic rays and Earth’s atmosphere.
Van Allen Belts Visualization
In order to travel beyond low-orbit, astronauts need to fly through the Van Allen Belts which puts them at risk of radiation exposure. Ionizing radiation, such as that found in the Van Allen Belts, can increase the risk of the development of a large array of health issues including cancer and central nervous system decrements (Chancellor, Scott and Sutton, 2014). When we look at the future of space travel there is likely to be more missions traveling beyond low-orbit, so attempting to minimize ionizing radiation exposure is necessary. One example is the upcoming Artemis II mission set to launch by the end of 2025 which will send astronauts to the moon, passing through the Van Allen Belts in the process (NASA, 2024). As we travel further from our planet, refining our understanding of ionizing radiation and its effect on human health becomes more and more important.