Thinner than a hair and stretchy like rubber: New material could shield against radiation in next-gen space tech

A variety of space tech uses or emits different types of radiation. One new study proposes a new material that could help to shield that radiation, protecting instruments as well as humans in the process. (Image credit: JHU/APL, NASA) Scientists have developed a new material that could shield humans and critical technology from harmful radiation, and it's thinner than a human hair and stretches like rubber.Radiation is a major factor to consider when astronauts go to space – and it isn't just space radiation. There are a wide variety of technologies needed to get to space that involve radiation, including medical devices, semiconductors, power plants and even spacecraft themselves. Often, such radiation is integral to the function of these technologies, but the downside is that it can pose risks to damaging or interfering with other nearby tech as well as possible health risks to humans.Article continues below "This material represents a completely new concept in shielding technology — it is as thin as tape and as flexible as rubber, yet simultaneously blocks both electromagnetic waves and radiation," lead author Joo yong-ho at the Extreme Environment Shielding Materials Research Center of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology said in a