Subscribe now

RADIATION levels on the International Space Station are as high as they were on the antiquated Russian space station Mir, in spite of NASA’s attempts to clad the ISS with better shielding. If NASA can’t protect astronauts, its vision of sending a crew into deep space may come to nothing.

Data collected by NASA and a Russian-Austrian collaboration show that astronauts on the ISS are subjected to about 1 millisievert of radiation per day, about the same as someone would get from natural sources on Earth in a whole year. Spending three months in these conditions translates into about one-tenth…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop