The Concorde and cosmic rays.

Abstract

In 1976, Air France's Concordes operated 2,642 h of flight time during 772 commercial flights to Rio de Janeiro, Caracas, and Washington. The cosmic radiation dose equivalent rate was measured during each of these flights. The average amount recorded was 0.99 mrems/h. A distinction must be made between the high latitudes (Washington route), on which an average dose equivalent rate of 1.49 mrem/h was recorded, and low latitudes (Rio de Janeiro and Caracas routes), on which the average dose equivalent rate was only 0.78 mrems/h. These figures show that 1976 Concorde passengers and crews were exposed to very low quantities of radiation--very much lower than the maximum value recommended for the general public, which is 500 mrems per year.