Introduction to the Natural Space Radiation Environment

The natural space radiation environment poses significant reliability and availability hazards for spacecraft. The environment is dynamic, with various sources of ionizing radiation including galactic cosmic rays, solar flares, solar particles, and trapped particles. These sources can cause cumulative and transient effects on electronics, making shielding critical to mitigate some of the radiation impact. However, as electrons are slowed down by shielding, they generate X-rays through Bremsstrahlung, which are more difficult to stop. This leads to a point where additional shielding becomes ineffective due to the diminishing return on mass.
The main takeaway from this material is that understanding the natural space radiation environment and its effects on electronics is crucial for spacecraft design and operation. Shielding can only mitigate some of the radiation impact, and other solutions such as proper technology and component selection, system-level design, testing, and modeling are necessary to meet mission requirements. The community should also consider the fundamental interaction of radiation with material (radiation damage) and not just focus on manifestations of radiation effects in electronics.