Higher than expected Lunar Radiation

2010, January 7 - 10:29am — Greg Kontos

Current Events

Critical Path Innovation:

Moon Colony
Radiation

Projects:

Lunar Reconnaisance Orbiter

Sites in Space:

Moon

The lunar surface has been found to be a significant source of radiation. Cosmic radiation has been radiating the lunar soil for so long, that the soil itself has become radioactive. This information is based on measurements taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter which show that the amount of measured radiation does not decrease closer to the moon's surface. It is expected that measured radiation would decrease as the moon itself blocks a larger portion of the incoming cosmic rays.

This means that radiation dosages on the lunar surface will be 30-40 percent higher than previously expected.