Growing peril for astronauts? Cosmic rays are intensifying.

[link to spaceweather.com]


"Does the worsening galactic cosmic radiation environment observed by CRaTER preclude future manned deep space exploration?

Abstract

The Sun and its solar wind are currently exhibiting extremely low densities and magnetic field strengths, representing states that have never been observed during the space age. The highly abnormal solar activity between cycles 23 and 24 has caused the longest solar minimum in over 80 years and continues into the unusually small solar maximum of cycle 24. As a result of the remarkably weak solar activity, we have also observed the highest fluxes of galactic cosmic rays in the space age and relatively small solar energetic particle events.

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[link to onlinelibrary.wiley.com]

PDF version of the article here:

[link to onlinelibrary.wiley.com]