Radiological dose assessments at the Kennedy Space Center

This paper discusses the application of an atmospheric transport and diffusion model for launch window and safety risk assessment studies in support of the Galileo (which is scheduled for the October/November 1989 period) and Ulysses (scheduled for ∼1 yr after Galileo) missions at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The model is resident in the EMERGE software system developed by NUS Corporation and modified for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to provide real-time and safety analyses report support for the launches. The application is unique in that the model accommodates the varied amount of meteorological data at KSC and Cape Canaveral and includes a site-specific algorithm to account for local-scale circulations. This paper focuses on the Galileo mission application, including discussions of the use of the meteorological data available at KSC, integration of the EMERGE sea-breeze algorithm, and examples of real-time and safety analyses report assessments. The Galileo spacecraft is to be launched toward Jupiter using the space shuttle