Protons Helps NASA Create A Better Spacesuit
Wednesday, March 01, 2000
Besides treating cancerous tumors and other diseases, now the Proton Treatment Center is helping make outer space safer for astronauts. Recently, Loma Linda has joined NASA scientists to study the effects of proton particles on space suits.
Proton beams are used on the suits to simulate the space environment and have enabled researchers to assess how well the suits protect astronauts from radiation. By using a "phantom," a plastic torso embedded with a human skeleton, and imitation tissues and organs, researchers have gained a better understanding of how to combat the effects of radiation within the space environment.
Exposure to radiation can cause cataracts, chromosomal and tissue damage, cell changes, and cancer, says Gregory Nelson, PhD, director, Loma Linda University radiobiology program. This is why it is important for astronauts to be protected.
James M. Slater, MD, FACR, director of the Loma Linda University Cancer Research Institute and professor and chair of radiation medicine, says the research not only will help NASA make the best space suits, but it will also help the medical world better understand radiation's effects on organs and tissues.
