What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to present optimized designs for superconducting radiation shelters for interplanetary crewed missions.

April 29, 2026Open Access

Refuge Sphere v9.0 — Lightweight Optimized Design: A Superconducting Double-Sphere Radiation Shelter for Interplanetary Crewed Missions

Key Points

The aim is to present optimized designs for superconducting radiation shelters for interplanetary crewed missions.
Introduced two variants: Standard Optimized (A) with 6 crew and Compact Commercial (B) with 4 crew.
Applied mass optimization strategies using CFRP and carbon nanotubes for shielding performance.
Evaluated shielding effectiveness against proton radiation and structural weight reduction.
Variant A weighs ~11,539 kg and Variant B weighs ~8,580 kg with a 15% safety margin.
Both variants achieve identical radiation protection, stopping protons up to 170 MeV with <1 mSv dose per event.
Launch costs are reduced by 30× for Variant B when using Falcon 9 compared to heavy-lift vehicles.

Abstract

Version 9.0 of the Refuge Sphere technical engineering document. This release introduces two mass-optimized variants of the superconducting radiation shelter concept, both maintaining identical shielding performance to the baseline design. Variant A (Standard Optimized, 6 crew): ~11,539 kg, compatible with SLS Block 1, SLS Block 2, Falcon 9, and Starship. Variant B (Compact Commercial, 4 crew): ~8,580 kg (under 10,000 kg with 15% safety margin), primary launcher Falcon 9 — reducing launch costs by 30× compared to government heavy-lift vehicles and making the system accessible to commercial operators. Optimization strategy: inner sphere aluminum replaced by conductive CFRP 3 mm (CS buckling 3.8, compliant with aerospace standards); internal structure aluminum replaced by CFRP; HDPE shielding reinforced with 5% carbon nanotubes (CNT), allowing 10–15% thickness reduction with identical proton stopping power. Shielding performance (all variants): B = 0 internal (Meissner effect, YBCO film at 77 K), E = 0 internal (Faraday cage), protons 100% stopped up to 170 MeV, estimated dose 1,000×). Standby power: ~2.4 kW (64% lower than equivalent active toroidal design). Document contains: Introduction, General System Description, Magnetic System, Energy System, Thermal System, Structural System, Radiation Shielding Analysis, Mass Budget, Lightweight Optimization (Variant A and B), Access and Interfaces, Operational Modes, Limitations and Future Developments, Appendices 1–3, References. Technical Annexes (Appendices 4–9) published as companion document. Related to: DOI 10.5281/zenodo.19717390 (previous version v8.0b), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.19690549 (abstract).

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