Problem
On Earth, people are generally protected from solar radiation due to the planet's magnetic field and thick atmosphere. In space, astronauts are subject to more ionizing radiation than they would ever experience on the ground. In order to more effectively shield astronauts in Earth orbit and beyond, more research has to be done on the different types of space radiation and the possible adverse biological reactions.
Project Focus
Our project will focus on building a sensor array system that will assist in the study of the effects of radiation on different biological tissues. Cells are placed on the array of detectors and then exposed to radiation. The amount of radiation received by the detectors indicates which cells absorbed the most radiation and as a result are most likely to be affected. This new sensor array system will help to realize better techniques to protect astronauts in space and will also play a role in specialized cancer research.
Our Capstone Team is made up of Electrical Engineering Students:
David Keene
Jacob King
Ricardo Peterson
Serena Sauceda
Brandon Shipman
Sponsor:
Mr. S. D. Holland
Electronics Engineer
NASA/Johnson Space Center
Faculty:
Dr. Grubbs
EE Professor
Northern Arizona University
