• → European Space Agency

      • Space for Europe
      • Space News
      • Space in Images
      • Space in Videos
    • About Us

      • Welcome to ESA
      • DG's news and views
      • For Member State Delegations
      • Business with ESA
      • Law at ESA
      • ESA Exhibitions
      • ESA Publications
      • Careers at ESA
      • ESAshop
    • Our Activities

      • Space News
      • Observing the Earth
      • Human Spaceflight
      • Space Transportation
      • Navigation
      • Space Science
      • Space Engineering & Technology
      • Operations
      • Telecommunications & Integrated Applications
      • Preparing for the Future
    • Careers at ESA

    • For Media

      • Media
      • ESA TV
      • Videos for professionals
      • Photos
    • For Educators

    • For Kids

    • ESA

    • Human Spaceflight

    • Volare

    • About Volare
    • Volare dates and facts
    • Luca Parmitano
    • Crew biographies
    • Mission patches
    • Training to fly
    • Getting to space
    • Everyday life in space
    • Ground Support
    • Return home
    • Volare experiments

      • Science overview
      • Human Research
      • Physics
      • Environment
      • Biology
      • Technology demonstration
    • Education

      • Space Robotics competition
      • Mission-X: Train Like an Astronaut
      • Amateur radio on the Space Station
      • After the mission
    • Volare multimedia

      • Volare images
      • Volare videos
      • Luca Parmitano in training
      • Volare on Youtube
    • Mission brochures

      • Volare brochure English
      • Volare brochure Italian
      • Volare brochure German

    ESA > Our Activities > Human Spaceflight > Volare

    Environment

    DOSIS 3D

    Radiation levels in space are up to 15 times higher than on Earth. As soon as humans leave the protective shield that is Earth’s atmosphere, space radiation becomes a serious concern.

    DOSIS 3D helps to understand space radiation and how it penetrates the Space Station walls. Active and passive radiation detectors are used to map radiation in all modules of the Space Station.

    The European Columbus laboratory is monitored by 11 passive dosimeters. The dosimeters are about the size of a pack of playing cards and attached to the walls of Columbus with Velcro. The detectors record how much radiation has been absorbed in total during the period they are in space.

    After each six-month crew rotation, the detectors are replaced to record changes in radiation. Luca removed an old set of dosimeters from Columbus, packed them for return to Earth, and stuck a new set to the walls.

    In addition to the passive detectors, DOSIS-3D uses active dosimeters that measure fluctuations in radiation levels over time. Data from all Station partners is shared to create as complete a picture of space radiation as possible.

    SOLAR

    SOLAR

    SOLAR is a combination of instruments placed on the outside of Europe’s Columbus laboratory that together measure the Sun’s output with unprecedented accuracy – from the infrared to the ultraviolet.

    To predict how the Sun will behave, scientists create complex computer models to build a virtual Sun. With more data, scientists can fine-tune their models. These models are an important step towards understanding humankind’s effect on Earth’s climate.

    SOLAR is run automatically from the ground. Luca was on the Station during the Sun’s maximum solar activity when the solar wind emits more particles, a cycle that generally repeats every 11 years.

    Last update: 29 November 2013

    Rate this

    Views

    Share

    • Currently 5 out of 5 Stars.
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5
    Rating: 5/5 (3 votes cast)

    Thank you for rating!

    You have already rated this page, you can only rate it once!

    Your rating has been changed, thanks for rating!

    393
    Tweet
    • European space laboratory Columbus
    • Experiment archive
    • Volare logo
    • Volare blog
    • Follow Luca
    • @Astro_Luca
    • Luca on Facebook
    • Luca on Google+
    • Luca on Flickr
    • Agenzia Spaziale Italiana
    • Watch the launch replay
    • App Store
    • Subscribe
    • mobile version
    • LATEST ARTICLES
    • · ESA and NASA to investigate bringi…
    • · Seventh Sentinel satellite launche…
    • · Gaia creates richest star map of o…
    • · ESA teams ready for space
    • · Space smash: simulating when satel…
    • FAQ

    • Site Map

    • Contacts

    • Terms and conditions