Space weather is not only a challenge for spacecraft and technological infrastructure—it is also a human health challenge.
As human exploration moves beyond low-Earth orbit toward sustained operations on the Moon and future missions to Mars, understanding the relationship between solar activity, energetic particle environments, radiation exposure, and human physiology and survival risks becomes increasingly important.
Solar energetic particle events, galactic cosmic rays, interplanetary variability, and geomagnetic disturbances create complex, time-dependent radiation environments. For explorers and crews operating outside the protection of Earth's atmosphere and magnetosphere, these factors introduce risks that require understanding across space physics, radiation science, biology, medicine, engineering, and mission operations.
This session aims to bridge the traditional communities of space weather and life in the cosmos and establish a common framework connecting environmental observations and forecasting with biological effects and astronaut health.
We invite observational, experimental, modeling, technological, and interdisciplinary contributions addressing the chain from solar and heliospheric phenomena to radiation environments, biological responses, medical consequences, and operational countermeasures.
Topics of particular interest include:
• solar energetic particle (SEP) events and astronaut radiation exposure.
• galactic cosmic rays and cumulative health risks during long-duration missions.
• solar activity, heliospheric variability and radiation forecasting.
• radiation dosimetry and individual astronaut exposure assessment.
• space-weather forecasting for medical and operational decision-making.
• radiation alert systems and crew warning protocols.
• radiation shielding and protective strategies for spacecraft, lunar bases and planetary habitats.
• habitat and personalized approaches to mission and astronaut health monitoring.
• wearable and autonomous radiation and biomedical monitoring systems.
We particularly encourage studies that directly couple space weather and radiation environment with habitat construction, location and geology information, and biological and operational outcomes.
The session seeks to stimulate collaboration between communities that will need to work increasingly closely as human activity expands from low-Earth orbit toward space exploration.