Student: Lorien MacEnulty, Undergraduate Student in Physics, Mathematics, and News Journalism, Drake University
Research Mentor: Dr. Athanasios Petridis
Magneto-Ionization Spacecraft Shield for Interplanetary Travel
The MISSFIT research organization—acronym for Magneto-Ionization Spacecraft Shield for Interplanetary Travel—is a student-run, interdisciplinary research group devoted to the development of an ionized radiation shield. The shield is designed to surround spacecraft and accompanying voyagers exposed to intense cosmic radiation when dispatched on long-term missions through space. The current model under investigation consists of a combination of active and passive shielding imitating the protective qualities of Earth’s ionosphere and magnetosphere. I joined the group at its founding in November of 2016.
