Pilot, cabin crew and astronaut ionizing radiation exposure and protection

The further up the atmosphere one goes, the more exposed they are to radiation. Pilots and cabin crew for example are known to have increased risks at developing a radiation exposure-related disease. Similarly, one of the biggest challenges in space medicine, in sending humans to Mars or in making space tourism a booming industry is ionizing radiation exposure and its complications. Outside the Earths protective cocoon of a magnetic field, humans are vulnerable to deadly waves and particles that can lead to several diseases and even death. There have been several research articles, reviews and studies exploring both the dangers and potential protection methods against ionizing radiation. In this thesis, we attempt to put together all the latest updates on the matter. We explore the various impacts ionizing radiation has on health, as it has been recorded up to date. These include: cancers with the most common one being melanoma, ophthalmological issues including cataract and glaucoma, as well as acute radiation syndrome. We explore the impact of solar flares and cosmic rays, as well as the varied challenges that pilots, cabin crew, International Space Station astronauts and deep space astronauts have to face. Both private and public corporations rely their future on a solution protecting from radiation protection and in order for advancements and further space exploration to see the light of day, a solution has to be established fast, so the race is on.