WASHINGTON - The crews of future missions to the moon and Mars could face serious health risks from exposure to space radiation. NASA and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, known as NSBRI, Houston, will fund 17 new research projects that will enable NASA to better understand and reduce those risks. Scientists at universities, research institutions and private companies in eight states will conduct the studies.

The goal of NASA's space radiation research is to enable the human exploration of space by understanding and limiting astronaut health risks from space radiation. The health risks of radiation during space travel may include cancer, acute radiation sickness and degenerative tissue damage, including damage to the central nervous system. The new research is designed to deliver products that will help in the development of effective shielding or biological countermeasures for radiation exposure.

The 17 projects were selected from 98 proposals received in response to a NASA and NSBRI announcement, Ground-Based Studies in Space Radiation. Scientific and technical experts from academia and government laboratories reviewed the proposals. The total potential value of the selected proposals is about $15 million.

NSBRI is a NASA-funded consortium of institutions studying the health risks related to long-duration spaceflight. The institute's science, technology and education projects take place at more than 70 institutions across the United States.

A complete list of the selected principal investigators, organizations and proposals is available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/news/space_radiation.html

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

For information about NSBRI, visit: http://www.nsbri.org