Figure 1.

Estimates of uncertainties in projecting cancer risks for interplanetary space missions based on current knowledge on radiation protection on Earth. Several factors such as radiation quality of high-energy ions, space dosimetry and microgravity do not contribute on Earth and lead to large increases in risk projections. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) is by far the main factor contributing to uncertainty. Predicting risks to individuals is difficult, as there are very few quantitative measures of individual sensitivity. Reproduced from Durante and Cucinotta¹⁵ with permission from Nature Publishing Group.