Consider the following statements about the Polaris Dawn Mission and Van Allen Radiation Belts: 1. The Van Allen Belts consist of charged particles originating exclusively from the Sun. 2. The Polaris Dawn Mission studied the biological effects of space radiation by traveling through high-radiation zones around Earth. 3. Spacecraft passing through the Van Allen Belts must limit their transit time to reduce radiation exposure. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
2 and 3 only
Statement 1 — incorrect. The Van Allen Belts are zones of charged particles (protons and electrons) held by Earth's magnetic field. The particles do not come exclusively from the Sun: the inner belt's high-energy protons come largely from cosmic rays striking the atmosphere (cosmic ray albedo neutron decay), while the solar wind feeds mainly the outer belt. The word "exclusively" makes the statement wrong.
Statement 2 — correct. SpaceX's Polaris Dawn (September 2024) flew to an apogee of about 1,400 km, the highest crewed Earth orbit since Apollo, taking the crew into parts of the inner Van Allen belt region. The crew carried out research on the effects of space radiation on the human body.
Statement 3 — correct. Radiation dose builds up with time spent in the belts, so missions plan trajectories to cross them quickly (as Apollo did) and limit transit time to protect crew and electronics.
Only statements 2 and 3 are correct.
Hence, the answer is 2 and 3 only.
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