I’m Ryan Norman, I’m a physicist at Langley
Research Center studying Space Radiation.
I am part of the Space Radiation Group.
So we study the reactions of space radiation
with shielding materials and vehicles and
habitats and also with the human body.
Space is filled with dangerous cancer causing
radiation and we want to be sure that if we
put people on the surface of Mars they are
going to be safe and healthy.
As a radiation physicists, I think the Curiosity
Rover is pretty amazing.
It has an instrument on it called RAD which
is measuring the space radiation environment
on the surface of Mars, which gives me very
important data to understand how the radiation
environment on the surface of Mars might impact
a human.
I think one of the grand challenges of the
human race is space exploration.
Putting somebody on another planet, in my
lifetime will be very, very, amazing and I’m
very excited to be a part of that.
