Personal neutron dosimetry in the space station MIR and the Space Shuttle

A passive neutron dosemeter based on nuclear track detectors and TLD's was used in 1995 and 1997 on the MIR station and in Space Shuttle flights to MIR. As it is equipped with neutron converters and shieldings of different types the track detector system allows the neutron dose equivalent to be determined in rough energy intervals. The results of the measurements on the MIR station and in the Space Shuttle flights are presented and the influence of charged particles in the complex mixed radiation field in space is discussed. Improvements are possible by means of a new active neutron dosemeter which is under development at the PTB. First measurements with a prototype in the high-energy reference fields at CERN are presented and discussed.