Cosmic ray exposure factors for Shuttle altitudes derived from calculated cut-off rigidities.
The allowed cosmic radiation flux accessible to an earth-orbiting spacecraft is a complex function of the satellite position and the geomagnetic cutoff characteristics at each zenith and azimuth angle at each position. We have determined cosmic ray exposure factors for the galactic cosmic ray spectrum for typical shuttle altitudes and inclinations up to 50 degrees. We have utilized d world grid of trajectory-derived cutoff rigidity calculations at 400 km altitude to determine geomagnetic transmission functions that permit a simple and direct calculation of the allowed cosmic ray spectrum to a 400 km satellite orbit. If the interplanetary cosmic ray spectrum is multiplied by the orbit-averaged geomagnetic transmission function the result is the allowed cosmic ray spectrum at the spacecraft.
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Air Force Geophysics Laboratory, Hanscom AFB, Bedford, MA 01731, USA.
Shea
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D000531:Altitude; D003359:Cosmic Radiation; D008280:Magnetics; D055585:Physical Phenomena; D010825:Physics; D011835:Radiation Protection; D013026:Space Flight; D018531:Spacecraft