The spacecraft you will eventually (virtually) design and build will measure radiation in the Van Allen radiation belts that encircle the Earth. However, do you think radiation exists only in these belts? Certainly not! The next three videos that you will watch prepare you for a journey from Earth through the radiation belts and beyond...to Mars. You will learn some of the basics about radiation and also how spacecraft and astronauts must protect themselves from the radiation in the Van Allen Belts and on other space exploration adventures.
Duration: 11 minutes 06 seconds
Credit: NASA
Don't forget to record answers to questions related to the videos in your Protecting Our Spacecraft worksheet!
Here are some words to know from this video, Act 1: