Experimental Active and Passive Dosimetry for the Nasa Skylab Program Systems

Active and passive dosimetry instrumentation to measure absorbed dose, charged particle spectra, and linear energy transfer spectra inside the command module and orbital workshop on the NASA Skylab Program in 1972 have been developed and tested. The active doslmetry system consists of one integral unit employing both a tissue equivalent ionization chamber and silicon solld state detectors. The instrument measures dose rates from 0.2 mi11irad/hour to 25 fads/hour, llnear energy transfer spectra from 2.8 to 42.4 Kev/mlcron, and the proton and alpha particle energy spectra from 0.5 to 75 Mev. The active dosimeter is equipped with a portable radiation sensor for use in astronaut on-bedy and spacecraft shielding surveys during passage of the Skylab through significant space radiations. Data are transmitted in real time or are recorded by onboard spacecraft tape recorder for rapid evaluation of the radiation levels. The passive doslmetry systems consist of twelve (12) hard-mounted assemblies, each containing a variety of passive radiation sensors which are recoverable at the end of the mission for analysis. The passive dosimeters consist of calcium and llthlum fluoride thermolumlnescent dosimeters, speclal discharge ionization chambers, activation foils, llford G.5 and K.2 nuclear emulsions and plastic heavy particle track dosimeters. The passive dosimeters record the total mission dose from 5 milllrads to 5000 fads and the linear energy transfer spectra from 0.20 to >85 Kev/mlcron.