Israel Space Agency

An Israeli-developed radiation protection vest took off on Saturday for tests in Space.

By TPS

The AstroRad Vest, developed by the Israeli company StemRad, was sent up to space on Saturday with the launch of NG-12.

The Northrop Grumman CRS-12 Antares rocket blasted off from Wallops Island, Virginia, with 8,200 pounds of cargo headed toward the International Space Station (ISS), including the AstroRad Vest.

The vest is intended to protect astronauts from harmful radiation in space. While going about their activity on the space station, astronauts will wear the AstroRad and take note of things like comfort over long periods of time. This will help researchers on Earth finalize the best design for future long-duration missions.

This test phase is part of the preparation for the use of the vest on the Orion spacecraft. Orion is intended to be the main crew vehicle of the Artemis lunar exploration program and other missions not far beyond lunar space.

AstroRad was developed by StemRad following the success of its first product which is used by first responders throughout the world, which consists of a belt that protects the pelvis ensuring the survival of critical bone marrow stem cells. StemRad collaborated with Lockheed Martin to adapt its technology for use in space.

“Israeli technology in ​​space exploration is known throughout the world as innovative, resulting from ‘out of the box’ thinking,” commented Israeli Minister of Science Ofir Akunis. “We are proud to facilitate this technology and enable it to be part of one of humanity’s most exciting experiments in the coming years.”