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Author
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Topic: Effect of radiation on comms from the moon
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Buel Member Posts: 770 From: UK Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 06-29-2021 04:13 PM
A colleague asked me yesterday why radiation didn't affect the radio or TV signal back from the lunar surface (the insinuation was that the radiation would stop or alter the signal).Can anyone offer some info that would educate me better on if this is even an issue? |
Dave_Johnson Member Posts: 132 From: Registered: Feb 2014
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posted 06-29-2021 11:25 PM
Generally, not an issue. Radio signals are sent/received on a regular basis with the various spacecraft exploring the solar system, with little interference. Situations that CAN affect communications would be the Earth's ionosphere being affected by solar flares/coronal mass ejections, which do happen occasionally, or if the spacecraft is behind the Sun as seen from Earth. Radiation will not affect the signals directly. |
Blackarrow Member Posts: 3328 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 06-30-2021 07:37 AM
Regarding a spacecraft transmitting from "behind the sun" I offer this extract from "Pioneer Saturn Encounter" (Ames Research Center, Sept. 1979): When this picture was taken, the spacecraft, as seen from Earth, was about to pass behind the sun, and solar activity was interfering with spacecraft communications. The image quality, therefore, is not as good as for pictures taken inbound... The image itself, seen in isolation, doesn't really illustrate the point very well, as the publication contains both raw and computer-enhanced images and the raw inbound images and the post-encounter image look much the same in terms of quality, so I surmise that the interference was not enough to impact too much on individual images. |
Jim Behling Member Posts: 1645 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 06-30-2021 03:21 PM
Radiation and radio waves are not the same spectrum. |
Jonnyed Member Posts: 498 From: Dumfries, VA, USA Registered: Aug 2014
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posted 06-30-2021 04:51 PM
Ionizing radiation can and will have a detrimental effect on ELECTRONICS, including communication electronics, in considerable radiation fields over time. Strength of radiation field, type of rad, and length of time are all factors.In addition to the types of radiation we experience earthbound, space travelers must contend with Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) consisting of heavy ions and amped up protons. So electronics MUST BE SHIELDED in radiation fields for longer-term operations because the ionizing radiation may rip electrons off circuit boards, transistors, chips etc, could make wiring more brittle and may even cause leakage from one circuit to the next. | |
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