Radiotrophic Shield

A radiotrophic shield is a type of biological radiation shielding system used in many types of human spacecraft to protect against ionising radiation in space, allowing cheaper and lighter overall construction. It utilises a radiotrophic fungi, such as an engineered strain of cladosporium sphaeospermum, of thicknesses typically between 15 cm to 60 cm. The fungi layer is attached to a support substrate which provides water to the mycelium. The first radiotrophic shield systems were developed by BioCorp in the mid 2050s in cooperation with Paradigm; others include those developed by Pacific Science & Industrial. They compete against lightweight inorganic systems developed by companies such as Voima Tech Industries and CORE Heavy Industries.