Because SPS travel and work will take place in a number of different space environments—primarily low earth orbit (LEO), the transfer ellipse (TE), and geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO)—the worker in space will be exposed to radiation environments with different radiation qualities, varying intensities, and differing difficulty in predicting exposure levels. Assessment of potential health risks in each of the three environments is influenced by many factors, including: (1) the location in space; (2) the type of shielding used in work stations, living quarters, transport systems, and space suits; (3) the types of duties performed; (4) the length of each mission; (5) the age and sex of space workers; and (6) the total number of missions per worker-career. This assessment of the radiation health hazards in space is limited by the lack of adequate information concerning these factors and further complicated by inadequate data concerning the health effects of various types and dose levels of radiation on the human body. The Reference System proposal is based on the following assumptions: 1. The SPS construction would occur mainly in GEO with all material transported from Earth. 2. There would be a two-phase transportation of materials and personnel: movement to LEO, followed by subsequent delivery to GEO. 3. After construction of the LEO base, cargo transportation vehicles for the voyage to GEO would be assembled in LEO. 4. The construction and operation of a fleet of 60 SPS facilities, assuming a 30-year lifetime for each SPS, would require between 22,000 and 57,000 worker-years in space. The range of worker-years required takes into consideration the number of maintenance workers needed per SPS (from 4 to 20). The number of SPS workers required to achieve these goals would range between 10,000 and 20,000, with ten 90-day missions per worker. 5. The time spent in GEO would be between 87 and 98 percent of the total worker-years.
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