What are the best practices for using spacecraft radiation analysis software to ensure safety?

1 Choose the right software

There are many different types of spacecraft radiation analysis software available, each with its own features, capabilities, and limitations. Some of the most common ones are SPENVIS, FASTRAD, GRAS, NOVICE, and CREME. Depending on your project goals, requirements, and resources, you should choose the software that best suits your needs and preferences. You should also consider the compatibility, reliability, accuracy, and user-friendliness of the software, as well as the availability of support and documentation.

2 Define the radiation environment

Before you can perform any radiation analysis, you need to define the radiation environment that your spacecraft will encounter. This includes the sources, types, intensities, and spectra of radiation particles, as well as the orbital parameters, mission duration, and shielding configuration of your spacecraft. You can use existing models, data, and standards to define the radiation environment, such as the NASA AP-8 and AE-8 models, the ESA ECSS-E-ST-10-04 standard, and the ISO 15390 standard. You should also update and validate your radiation environment definition as new information becomes available.

4 Compare and optimize the results

After you have performed the radiation analysis, you should compare and optimize the results. This means that you should evaluate the performance, reliability, and safety of your spacecraft systems and components under the radiation environment, and identify any potential issues, risks, or failures. You should also compare your results with other sources, such as experimental data, simulations, or benchmarks, to check the validity and accuracy of your analysis. Moreover, you should optimize your results by adjusting the design, testing, and monitoring parameters of your spacecraft systems and components to reduce the radiation effects and improve the safety.

5 Review and update the analysis

Finally, you should review and update the radiation analysis periodically. This is because the radiation environment and the spacecraft systems and components may change over time due to various factors, such as solar activity, orbital variations, degradation, aging, or damage. Therefore, you should review and update your radiation analysis to reflect the current and future conditions and scenarios of your spacecraft mission. You should also incorporate any feedback, lessons learned, or best practices from previous or ongoing spacecraft missions.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?