Our atmosphere protects us from a hostile space radiation environment comprised of high energy particles of solar and intergalactic origin
Space radiation collides with gases in the atmosphere, leading to a complex shower of high energy radiation, the intensity and composition of which varies spatially and temporally.
Excessive exposure to radiation can damage DNA and lead to long-term health effects such as an increased risk of cancer.
Radiation levels at altitudes used by commercial aircraft are greater than at sea level due to cosmic rays. Aircrew are classified as radiation workers in some countries; however, planning to limit their exposure, and monitoring, is generally lacking.
Both real-time measurements and predictive models of radiation in the atmosphere are important to mitigate the radiation risk to assets and crew.
Amentum Aerospace has developed a web API based on the PARMA and CARI-7 parameterised models of GCR induced radiation in the atmosphere. The API provides radiation doses and other quantities on a particular date, latitude, longitude, and altitude.
The Route Dose API uses the CARI-7 model to calculate radiation doses along a particular flight route. Specify the codes (IATA or ICAO) of origin and destination airports, a constant altitude, flight duration, and date of travel, and it calculates the effective or ambient dose in seconds.
The Route Dose API could be used to optimise rosters to ensure that radiation exposures of staff are within acceptable limits.
Click the Play icon to run the code. The API returns the value and units of the effective dose in JSON format.
The docs for the Route Dose, CARI-7 and PARMA APIs are available here.
We are constantly improving the quality of our APIs. All feedback is welcomed and appreciated via a 2 minute survey here.