Dr. Casey Canfield, an assistant professor of engineering management and systems engineering, contributed to a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine titled “Space Radiation and Astronaut Health: Managing and Communicating Cancer Risks.”

Canfield participated on a National Academies ad hoc committee requested by NASA that provided advice on the space agency’s proposed updates to the space radiation health standard. The standard sets the allowable limit of space radiation exposure throughout an astronaut’s career. Canfield served on the risk communication subcommittee.

The report provides the committee’s recommendations and conclusions regarding the updated space radiation health standard, NASA’s radiation risk communication strategies and a process for developing an ethics-informed waiver protocol for long-duration spaceflight missions. Long-duration missions could potentially increase astronauts’ health-related risks, including cancer caused by ionizing radiation exposure.