Radiation for dummies: the female mannequins testing space-travel safety

To understand the effects of radiation on the body, two female ‘phantoms’, Helga and Zohar, were strapped into the Orion capsule as part of the Artemis I mission and launched into space on November 16^th 2022.

There is limited data on the effects of space radiation on the female body and, with future moon missions planned to have female crew, Helga and Zohar are key to filling that void. They were fitted with a multitude of detectors to determine the risks posed to future female astronauts.

Space radiation comes in two forms, the ever present galactic cosmic rays and bursts of radiation from solar particle events. Both present different issues to the human body and, if humanity wants to pursue the idea of journeying to other planets, we need to understand our limits.

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