Cosmic rays, comprised of high-speed atomic particles, blanket the Milky Way galaxy. The radiation constantly bombards our planet, but the Earth's magnetic field and its atmosphere save us from the most dangerous rays.People who venture into deep space aren't so lucky, as cosmic rays can easily penetrate a spaceship's metallic hull or a space helmet. So before NASA sends anyone into deep space, they want to figure out the possible long-term ramifications of exposure to cosmic radiation.
One item of concern is radiation-induced memory loss, says cancer researcher Charles Limoli of the University of California Irvine, who led the report published May 1 in Science Advances.
...NASA has asked Limoli to lead a nationwide, $9 million effort to look into how cosmic radiation might affects astronauts' cognition.
posted 05-01-2015 08:15 PM
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