KalpanaOne Hull Morphology

On Dec 25, 2007, at 23:20 UTC, Chris Smyth wrote:

> Does anyone know how much water ice would provide the equivalent
> radiation shielding of 10 tons/square meter of atmosphere?

Approximately, 10 tons/square meter. It's pretty much mass that
matters, not what the mass is made of. Low-density mass is slightly
better than high-density mass, since it has a better chance of
absorbing secondaries before they escape out the other side. So, you'd
need slightly more water than atmosphere, and slightly more lead than
you would water. But to a first approximation, it's all just mass.

And BTW, you probably want dirt in your habitat to grow plants in, set
flagpoles in, lay foundations in, etc. It doesn't take more than a
couple meters of dirt to give you all the radiation protection you need
anyway.

Best,
- Joe

Joe Strout
Inspiring Applications, Inc.
http://www.InspiringApps.com