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Codes</a> </ul> </div>  </div> </div><div class="gd" id="gd-8"> <div class="container_24"> <div class="grid_10 prefix_1 suffix_1"> <form class="homePageSearchForm webSearchForm" method="post" action="https://www.bnl.gov/search/"> <span class="fa fa-globe fa-3x"></span><div> <input class="BNLinput webSearchField" name="q1" type="text" value="" maxlength="256" autocomplete="off" placeholder="Web Search..."> <input type="hidden" name="DIRECTORY_RESTRICT" value=""> <input type="hidden" name="SUBCOLLECTION" value="default_collection"> </div> </form> </div> <div class="grid_10 prefix_1"> <form class="homePageSearchForm peopleSearchForm" method="post" action="https://www.bnl.gov/search/"> <span class="fa fa-user fa-3x"></span><div> <input class="BNLinput peopleSearchField" name="q1" type="text" value="" maxlength="256" autocomplete="off" placeholder="People Search..."> <input type="hidden" name="DIRECTORY_RESTRICT" value=""> <input type="hidden" name="SUBCOLLECTION" value="people"> </div> </form> </div> <div class="grid_1"> <a class="closeGD menuClose" href="javascript:void(0);" title="Hide Search Fields"><span class="fa-stack fa-lg"> <i class="fa fa-square-o fa-stack-2x"></i> <i class="fa fa-close fa-stack-1x"></i> </span></a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clear"></div><div id="stripe"> <div class="container_24" id="banner"> <div class="grid_24" > <span id="hamburger" class="fa fa-bars"></span> <span id="mobileSearchTrigger" class="fa fa-search"></span> <a id="bnlLogoLink" title="BNL Homepage" href="https://www.bnl.gov"> <img class="BNLlogo black" title="BNL Homepage" src="/assets/global/images/bnl-logo-2021.svg" /> <img class="BNLlogo white-gray" title="BNL Homepage" src="/assets/global/images/bnl-logo-white-2021.svg" /> </a> <div id="siteTitleContainer">NASA Space Radiation Laboratory<span class="small"></span></div> <div id="bs-blurb"></div> <div id="doeLogoContainer"> <a id="doeLogoLink" title="DOE Office of Science" href="http://science.energy.gov/"> <img class="DOElogo black" title="DOE Office of Science" src="/assets/global/images/logo-doe-black-200px.png" /> <img class="DOElogo white" title="DOE Office of Science" src="/assets/global/images/logo-doe-white-500px.png" /> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container_24" id="siteMenuContainer"> <div class="grid_24"> <ul id="siteMenu"> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/nsrl/">Home</a> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/nsrl/userguide/select.php">User Guide</a> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/nsrl/stackup/">StackUp Tool</a> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/nsrl/about.php">About</a> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/nsrl/facility-users/">Apply for Beam Time</a> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/nsrl/runinfo.php">Run Information</a> <li> <p>Related Facilities</p> <ul> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://spaceradiation.jsc.nasa.gov/">NASA Space Radiation Program Element</a> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://three.jsc.nasa.gov/">The Health Risks of Extraterrestrial Environments (THREE)</a> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/nsrl/grsf/">Gamma Radiation Source Facility</a> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/tandem/">Tandem Van de Graaff</a> </ul> <li><a href="https://nsrl.bnl.gov/" target="_blank">PETRA</a> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="heroGraphic" class="flexslider"> <ul class="slides"> <li><img src="images/slideshow/2022-9-15-9567-3.jpg" /></li> <li><img src="images/slideshow/2022-9-15-9567-7.jpg" /></li> <li><img src="images/slideshow/d6540719.jpg" /></li> <li><img src="images/slideshow/d3660717.jpg" /></li> <li><img src="images/slideshow/nsrl-hero-1.jpg" /></li> <li><img src="images/slideshow/nsrl-hero-2.jpg" /></li> <li><img src="images/slideshow/nsrl-hero-3.jpg" /></li> </ul> <div class="intro"> <h1>Towards Safer Spaceflight</h1> <p>A joint Brookhaven Lab/NASA facility to study the effects of cosmic radiation</p> </div> </div> <div class="modern"> <div class="container_24"> <div class="grid_17 prefix_1"> <p class="font-plus-3"><strong>Modern astronauts are spending ever greater amounts of time in space, exposed to the little-understood effects of cosmic radiation.</strong> NASA and Brookhaven National Lab have established a joint lab—the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL)—on the Brookhaven campus to study the possible effects of this exposure. </p> </div> <div class="grid_4"> <a class="button"style="margin-top:0.6em" href="/nsrl/about.php">NSRL Overview <span class="fa fa-arrow-circle-right fa-lg"></span></a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="midRibbon" style="padding-top:3em;padding-bottom:4em"> <div class="container_24"> <div class="grid_11 prefix_1"> <h2 class="center thin baseColor">Why Space Radiation Matters</h2> <p class="font-plus-1">As the role of humans in space evolves, so does the need to study space radiation. Since the 1990s, astronauts routinely leave the protection of Earth's atmosphere, spending six or more months in space where they are exposed to ionizing particle radiation that is vastly different to the electromagnetic radiation at the surface. This stream of particles passing through the body damages living cells, including DNA, that may inhibit cell reproduction and repair. Primary concerns for astronaut health include cancer and central nervous system effects<sup>1</sup>.</p> <p class="font-plus-1">More recently, increased space travel and satellite production has created a need to understand the effect of ionizing particles on electronic devices. Space-faring hardware must recover quickly from effects caused by a heavy ion or proton traveling through a device to ensure proper function and mission success. Characterizing the isolated risk from space radiation in both the biological and electronic context facilitates safer space travel.</p> <p class="font-2"><sup>1</sup>Simonsen et al. (2020) NASA's galactic cosmic ray simulator. PLoS Biol 18(5): e3000669.</p> </div> <div class="grid_11"> <h2 class="center thin baseColor">What We Do</h2> <p class="font-plus-1">The research conducted at NSRL seeks to increase the safety of space exploration through radiobiology and electronic device studies. The NSRL uses beams of heavy ions extracted from Brookhaven's Booster accelerator to simulate the high energy cosmic rays found in space. NSRL features state-of-the-art specimen preparation resources, its own beam line dedicated to radiobiology research and space technology studies. Other experiments use industrial materials as samples, studying their suitability for space suits and spacecraft shielding.</p> <p class="font-plus-1">Scientists from around the world come to NSRL to perform their work using the unique capabilities of Brookhaven's accelerator facility. NSRL is the only place designed and built to study a space radiation environment right here on Earth's surface.</p> </div> </div> </div>  </div> <div id="topOfPage"><span class="fa fa-chevron-circle-up fa-lg topOfPageTrigger"></span></div> <div class="footer" id="footer" > <div class="container_24"> <div class="grid_6"> <h3 id="BNL">Brookhaven National Laboratory</h3> <p>PO Box 5000<br/> Upton, NY 11973-5000<br/> (631) 344-8000</p> <p><a id="contactUs" class="extrasmall white button" href="https://www.bnl.gov/contact-us/">Contact us</a></p> <ul class="socialMediaIcons"> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/BrookhavenLab" title="Follow Us on 𝕏"><i class="fa-brands fa-square-x-twitter fa-2x"></i></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/brookhavenlab" title="Follow Us on Facebook"><span class="fa fa-facebook-square fa-2x"></span></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/brookhavenlab/" title="Follow Us on Instagram"><span class="fa fa-instagram fa-2x"></span></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/brookhavenlab/" title="Follow Us on LinkedIn"><span class="fa fa-linkedin-square fa-2x"></span></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/BrookhavenLab" title="Follow Us on YouTube"><span class="fa fa-youtube-square fa-2x"></span></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.flickr.com/brookhavenlab/" title="Follow Us on Flickr"><span class="fa fa-flickr fa-2x"></span></a> </ul> </div> <div class="grid_3"> <ul class="linkList2"> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/science/">Our Science</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/about/">About</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/about/history/">History</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/about/org/">Leadership</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/visiting/">Visiting the Lab</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/siteindex/">Site Index</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/directory/">Staff Directory</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="grid_3"> <ul class="linkList2"> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://jobs.bnl.gov/">Careers</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/science/facilities.php">Facilities</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/guv/">Guest Center</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/partner/">Partnerships</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/ppm/">For Vendors</a></li> <li><a id="deptLink" href="javascript:void(0);">Departments</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/visiting/events/">Public Events</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="grid_4"> <ul class="linkList2 lastList"> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/techtransfer/">Technology Licensing</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/externalaffairs/">Stakeholder Relations</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/education/">Students & Educators</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/about/sustainability/">Sustainability</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/privacy/">Privacy and Security Notice</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.energy.gov/vulnerability-disclosure-policy">Vulnerability Disclosure Program</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="grid_7 prefix_1"> <h3 id="BSA">Brookhaven Science Associates</h3> <p>Brookhaven Science Associates manages and operates Brookhaven National Laboratory on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. 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