| dc.description.abstract | Space radiation poses significant health risks to astronauts, including DNA damage, neurodegeneration,
cardiovascular effects, and increased cancer risk. This review consolidates current knowledge on space radiation
exposure, shielding technologies, and dosimetry techniques. The systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines,
analysing 75 studies from Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. The findings highlight that galactic
cosmic ray (GCRs), solar particle events (SPEs) and Van Allen Belt Radiation cause complex biological damage,
requiring advanced mitigation strategies. Traditional aluminium shielding is inefficient against high-energy
cosmic radiation, prompting research into hydrogen-rich polymers, nanomaterials such as boron nitride
nanotubes, and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) using regolith. Active shielding, such as magnetic and
electrostatic barriers, remains experimental. Dosimetry advancements, including silicon-based detectors, Timepix
pixel technology, Tissue-Equivalent Proportional Counters and AI-driven predictive models, improve radiation
monitoring and risk assessment. Despite progress, challenges persist, including uncertainties in biological
responses, optimizing shielding solutions, and real-time radiation exposure prediction. Future research should
explore personalized medicine for radiation resilience, hybrid shielding approaches, and AI-integrated radiation
risk modelling. Ensuring astronaut safety in deep-space missions requires interdisciplinary collaboration in
health physics, space medicine, and engineering to develop robust radiation protection strategies. | en_US |
