Cosmic Hazards

These hazards include the danger of meteors and the effect of cosmic, ultraviolet and corpuscular radiation. Flying round the earth, it is possible to take a trajectory which is particularly free of the rays since it is known that the greatest radiation intensity is about 20,000 kilometres above the earth's surface. However, flights to the moon or other planets will necessarily have to pass through this danger zone. The most hazardous thing at such a moment would be a cosmic shower. During the sun flare of February 1956 the recorded increase in radiation intensity at sea level was 36 times and at an altitude of 28 kilometres it was 700 times. Such intensity of radiation creates a grave danger. Probably, animals will make the first interplanetary flights and man will follow only when the system of protection is completely developed.

G.J.N.