Biological effects of cosmic radiation during stratospheric flights

Cosmic radiation is a field of renewed investigation and involves several scientific challenges. A great area of interest is represented by radiobiology, a strategic field of investigation in space-biomedicine. Despite the data collected until now, much more must be done in order to obtain an estimate of the hazard to man from cosmic rays. Stratospheric balloon-based experiments for adequate time intervals (20-100 days) at high altitude (3040.000 mt) could constitute an excellent experimental model of exposition, providing reliable data and opportunity to study the biological response to cosmic rays and to determined the degree of radioprotection afforded by physical-pharmacological devices.