WASHINGTON — NASA will send astronaut dummies around the moon in the Orion spacecraft for the uncrewed Artemis I mission scheduled for next year, Space.com reports. <br /><br />According to the outlet, NASA says the goal of the mission is to test a new piece of equipment designed to protect female astronauts from space radiation called the AstroRed. <br /><br />According to the European Space Agency, the pair of phantom dummies named Zohar and Helga are fitted with over 5,600 radiation sensors.<br /><br />Zohar will wear the AstroRad protective vest and Helgo will not, which will help researchers evaluate the effectiveness of the vest. <br /><br />Makers of the radiation vest, a company called StemRad, say the vest protects the breasts, bone marrow, stomach, ovaries and other vulnerable organs that contain stem cells via its variable thickness shielding.<br /><br />According to the Tel-Aviv based contractor, the contoured shields are solid polymer shielding elements that are arrayed in a scale like structure. <br /><br />According to the German Aerospace Center's Thomas Berger, though the vest is designed for women, the garment could be adjusted for males.<br /><br />StemRad claims its vest could allow astronauts to leave the Orioin's solar storm shelters to perform important tasks during a solar storm.<br /><br />According to the company, the vest significantly reduces cancer and other fatal radiation exposure risks for astronauts.
