Cosmic radiation monitoring – Advanced protection for flight crews

GlobaLog is the advanced solution for managing cosmic radiation risks in aviation

Flight crews are exposed to significant doses of ionizing radiation while airborne, which is why airline operators are obliged to monitor the accumulated dose for each individual crew member in certain regions of the world.

GlobaLog is one of the world’s most advanced and accurate tools for managing the risk of overexposure to cosmic radiation, and makes it a simple task for airline operators to comply with legislation.

What does the EU legislation say about cosmic radiation?

In the European Union, legislation requires airline operators to monitor the levels of cosmic radiation their aircrew are exposed to, due to the elevated radiation levels experienced at high altitudes.

EU Directive 2013/59/Euratom mandates protective measures for workers who may be exposed to ionizing radiation, including cosmic radiation encountered during flights if there is a risk they will be exposed to more than 1 millisievert (mSv) of radiation per year.

Specifically, employers are required to implement procedures to accurately track each individual's cumulative radiation dose and take measures to minimize their exposure, such as adjusting flight routes or schedules when necessary.

Read the full text here: EU Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM

How GlobaLog works

Data exchange

There are multiple ways to get the required data across for GlobaLog.

Most often we'll get the data from your airline's Operations Control System or EFB service - or a combination of both. We will handle the necessary exchange of information with your data provider; this means no impact on your side. If this is not possible, we'll help you as much as possible, in order to set up a data flow.

Once the integration has been set up GlobaLog automatically retrieves data about each flight and its crew.

Flight dose calculation

Based on a flight's exact route and departure time, the system is able to accurately calculate its exposure to cosmic radiation. This calculation is performed using minute-by-minute data from neutron monitors, giving a higher granularity than any other cosmic radiation monitoring system.

The radiation strength is depending on three factors

The position on the globe
Fact: The distribution of cosmic radiation is strongly dependent of the magnetic field. So, the closer the aircraft is to the magnetic poles the stronger is the radiation. Actually, the radiation strength over the North Atlantic is 2.5 times stronger than over the Equator at the same altitude.
Clarification: The GlobaLog system uses the aircraft position minute-by-minute
The altitude (flight level)
Fact: At sea level we receive a light dose of cosmic radiation, but at current cruising levels it is 100 – 150 times stronger.
Clarification: The GlobaLog system uses the specific aircraft profile from take-off, climb to optimum cruising level and decent, recreating the aircraft altitude minute-by-minute for the entire flight.
The radiation strength
Fact: The radiation strength changes from minute to minute because of the influence of the solar wind.
Clarification: The GlobaLog system calculates the radiation doses minute-by-minute as high accuracy is a clear advantage

Crew dose calculation

The calculated dose for a flight is equally distributed to each crew on board the flight.

For each crew, accumulated doses for intervals such as "this calendar year", "since 1 year ago", and "since declared pregnancy" are calculated daily. Airline operator admin users are notified in case any crew exceeds a threshold defined by the operator, allowing the operator to reschedule upcoming flights as necessary.