Surviving radiation in space

Radiation damage to communications, navigation and weather satellites is common and caused by high energy charged particles, mainly protons and electrons, from the Earth's Van Allen belts. The combined release and radiation effects satellite (CRRES), recently launched by the United States, will allow scientists to create far more realistic computer models of satellite radiation damage than has been the case to date. It is hoped that information thus received will allow satellite builders to protect these essential structures in future. The second aim of the CCRES mission is to study the effect of releasing artificially charged particles into the magnetosphere and the ionosphere. Spacecraft design engineers will benefit from the results produced by the CCRES mission. (UK)