"res17uuf" wrote in message . ..
Hi...
I'm doing a research project for school on the apollo missions and I have
been having trouble finding information on what was used to shield the
apollo vehicles when they passed through the van allen belts.

There was no purpose-built radiation shielding on the Apollo capsules.
However, the capsule's heat shield (always at least 0.75-inches thick,
IIRC) and other equipment/structures were deliberately used to provide
radiation shielding, even though they had other, primary purposes.

The capsule had an average of 8 grams per centimeter of shielding
(IIRC), especially from the stern, where it had the long, fuel-filled
service module, with the heavy rocket motor at the stern.

Quoting Henry Spencer from many moons ago:

"The Apollo CSM used its heatshield and other equipment -- the crew
were basically in the center of the CSM, with everything else around
them, and essentially no mass had to be added specifically as
shielding. The Apollo 4 and 6 unmanned tests went out through the
belts and then came back in, carrying radiation instruments in the
cabin to confirm this:

("Apollo 4 and 6 Radiation Analysis", White&Hardy, J. Spacecraft 7.7,
July
1970, originally presented at a conference in January 1969.)

These missions show that there will be no biological hazard
associated with passage through the trapped radiation belts
during the translunar and trans-Earth phase of Apollo lunar
missions, providing that there are no further high-altitude
nuclear tests and that astronaut activity is confined to the
command module during belt passage."

I've found some radiation statistics I'm curious how
they solved this problem. also it is kinda needed for my
project.Can anyone help? Thanks, Jimmy

Mike Miller, Materials Engineer