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About Area PADLES

Area PADLES patch logo

Space radiation environment on board a spacecraft changes complicatedly depending on solar activity, solar flare, and conditions of the shielding environment of the spacecraft.

Area PADLES dosimeters are installed at fixed locations onboard the Japanese Experiment Module, Kibo to monitor space radiation environment inside Kibo.


Area PADLES dosimeter

Area PADLES dosimeter enclosed in a polycarbonate case with a tether, and it has Velcro tape on the backside of the case so that it can be attached to the internal walls of the ISS modules.

The dosimeters are installed and swapped every increment or every 6 months for continous area monitoring. Obtained results of continous area monitoring can effectively be utilized for development of future manned space flight technology, especially in respect to the following aspects;


Status of Space radiation environment monitor

Area PADLES was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard STS-124 (1J) Mission on May 31, 2008. On June 12, 2008, the first of Area PADLES was attached in Kibo, the continuous fixed point environment monitoring of the space radiation has started.
The measurement result of Area PADLES is shown sequentially on this website.


Experiment Launch Return
Date Vehicle Date Vehicle
1 Area PADLES 1 June
2008
STS-124(1J) March
2009
STS-119(15A)
2 Area PADLES 2 March
2009
STS-119(15A) September
2009
STS-128(17A)
3 Area PADLES 3 August
2009
STS-128(17A) April
2010
STS-131(19A)
4 Area PADLES 4 April
2010
STS-131(19A) March
2011
STS-133(ULF5)
5 Area PADLES 5 February
2011
STS-133(ULF5) May
2011
Soyuz TMA-20(25S)
6 Area PADLES 6 June
2011
Soyuz TMA-02M(27S) November
2011
Soyuz TMA-02M(27S)
7 Area PADLES 7 December
2011
Soyuz TMA-03M(29S) April
2012
Soyuz TMA-22(28S)
8 Area PADLES 8 May
2012
Soyuz TMA-04M(30S) September
2012
Soyuz TMA-04M(30S)
9 Area PADLES 9 October
2012
Soyuz TMA-06M(32S) March
2013
Soyuz TMA-06M(32S)
10 Area PADLES 10 March
2013
Soyuz TMA-08M(34S) September
2013
Soyuz TMA-08M(34S)
11 Area PADLES 11 September
2013
Soyuz TMA-10M(36S) March
2014
Soyuz TMA-10M(36S)
12 Area PADLES 12 March
2014
Soyuz TMA-12M(38S) September
2014
Soyuz TMA-12M(38S)
13 Area PADLES 13 September
2014
Soyuz TMA-14M(40S) March
2015
Soyuz TMA-14M(40S)
14 Area PADLES 14 March
2015
Soyuz TMA-16M(42S) September
2015
Soyuz TMA-16M(42S)
15 Area PADLES 15 September
2015
Soyuz TMA-18M(44S) March
2016
Soyuz TMA-18M(44S)
16 Area PADLES 16 March
2016
Soyuz TMA-20M(46S) September
2016
Soyuz TMA-20M(46S)
17 Area PADLES 17 December
2016
H-II Transfer Vehicle
KOUNOTORI 6(HTV-6)
June
2017
Dragon CRS-11
(SpX-11)
18 Area PADLES 18 June
2017
Dragon CRS-11
(SpX-11)
January
2018
Dragon CRS-13
(SpX-13)
19 Area PADLES 19 December
2017
Soyuz MS-07(53S) June
2018
Soyuz MS-07(53S)

Installation Locations of Area PADLES dosimeters

Installation Locations of Area PADLES dosimeters

The space radiation environment inboard is measured by Area PADLES dosimeters at 9 places in the Japanese Experiment Module "KIBO".

8 places in Pressurized Module (PM)
(It is four places in the Node side, the Exposed Facility (EF) side, and the center for each.)
1 places in Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section(ELM-PS)
(zenith and four places in Pressurized Module (PM) joint part)

These Area PADLES dosimeters are collected and changed in every approximately 6-8 months (1-2 times a year), and are analyzed in Tsukuba space center after the return.

A setting position of AreaPADLES(cf. right figure)

Installation Locations of Area PADLES dosimeters before Area PADLES 16 is here.


Installation Locations of Area PADLES in the Japanese Experiment Module, KIBO

Pressurized Module (PM)

Harmony (Node2) side


Center part


Exposed Facility (EF) side

Experiment Logistics Module-Pressurized Section (ELM-PS)