Automated Radiation Measurements for Aviation Safety (ARMAS)

Commercial aircrew members and frequent flyers face radiation hazards from the effects of cosmic rays and solar energetic particles. During significant solar events, dose rates can exceed safety thresholds. To mitigate the radiation dose rate and total dose hazards, a unique, state-of-the-art system of physics-based models and real-time data characterizing the aviation radiation environment called Nowcast of Atmospheric Ionizing Radiation for Aviation Safety (NAIRAS) is undergoing development. However, validation of the NAIRAS system must occur to provide confidence that accurate nowcasts, and eventually forecasts, can be made for the aviation radiation environment. The Automated Radiation Measurements for Aviation Safety (ARMAS) project will provide that validation in a cost-effective manner. The Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC) radiation detector measures the rate and total quantities of absorbed dose and dose equivalent during aircraft flights. These measurements help estimate the biological risk associated with radiation exposure to humans. Up to three flights of TEPC will be flown during the first half of the performance period. The flight regimes are designed to test a range of representative radiation environments. TEPC results will be analyzed in the second half of the performance period and compared with NAIRAS to validate modeled flight profile results.