DOSE DISTRIBUTION INSIDE THE ISS (DOSIS)
Research Area: Radiation Measurements and Shielding
Expedition(s): 19- 28
Principal Investigator(s): ● Günter Reitz, PhD, German Aerospace Center, Cologne,
Germany
● Filip Vanhavere, PhD, Belgium Nuclear Research Centre, Mol,
Belgium
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The aim of the Dose Distribution Inside the ISS (DOSIS) experiment is to measure radiation field
parameters such as absorbed dose, particle fluence, and Linear Energy Transfer (LET) spectra as
well as dose equivalent at different locations inside the European Columbus module of the
International Space Station (ISS) with passive and active radiation measurement devices. The
Dosimetry for Biological Experiments in Space (DOBIES) is additionally developing a standard
method to measure the absorbed doses in biological samples aboard the ISS.
RESULTS
Data for the experiment was generated through two active DOSTEL detectors and two sets of
passive radiation detectors which were located in
different locations around the Columbus laboratory
from July – November 2009 (set 1) and from
November 2009 – May 2010 (set 2). The passive
detectors were analyzed on ground following
deinstallation and return on Shuttle while monthly
data downlinks from the ISS were undertaken for
the active detectors between July 2009 and June
2010 with one gap of data from 13 December 2009
to the 5 January 2010.
As an example of the results from the first set of
passive detectors (Thermoluminescence Detectors
or TLDs and Nuclear Track Etch detectors) Figure 3-
17 shows the daily dose rate measured with
neutron sensitive 6LiF: Mg, Ti TLDs for three
different groups (DLR, Cologne, ATI, Vienna and IJF,
Krakow) while Figure 3-18 shows the daily dose rate
measured with non-neutron sensitive 7LiF: Mg, Ti
TLDs for three different groups (DLR, Cologne, ATI,
Vienna and IJF, Krakow). As is seen in Figure 3-18
the absorbed dose rate inside Columbus can vary
up to 50% depending on the location of the
detectors.
This investigation is complete; however additional results are pending publication.