Dummies Go First!

The Big Picture:

Two female phantom dummies named "Zohar" and "Helga" will be aboard the Orion spacecraft next year during NASA's Artemis I lunar mission flight. The goal is to test the effects of radiation on astronauts. Only Zohar will wear an AstroRad vest to shield it/her from radiation. Sorry Helga!

What's an AstroRad Vest?

The AstroRad is a wearable vest that offers radiation protection during spaceflight. It is the result of a partnership between U.S.-based Lockheed Martin and StemRad, an Israeli-based company with a U.S. office in Tampa, Florida.

Is There Space For Women?

Yes. Not only is the vest designed for women (and men), but a woman named Shirit Shwarz "oversees product development, design, manufacturing and export" of the AstroRad vests for StemRad. And hat tip to Space.com for the story and the photo above of a woman named Kat Coderre wearing the vest inside NASA’s Orion spacecraft. She's Lockheed Martin's principal investigator for the vest.