A Walk on the Moon

The Van Allen Shields or the Van Allen Radiation Belts are an area between 250 and 750 miles out from the earth’s surface. The bands were first discovered by James Van Allen in 1958. The belts protect the earth from the sun’s solar flares and contain highly charged radiation particles.
The International Space Station orbits at approximately 190 miles from the earth’s surface; the Space Shuttle orbits at approximately 185 miles above the earth’s surface, both being below the region of the bands. The moon is at an average distance of 238,855 miles from earth, well beyond the bands.

The Space Physics Text Book of Oulu states: The radiation belts are of importance primarily because of the harmful effects of high energy particle radiation for man and electronics.
• It degrades satellite components, particularly semi conductor and optical devices
• It induces background noise in detectors
• It induces errors in digital circuits
• It induces electrostatic charge-up in insulators
• It is also a threat to the astronauts

The Apollo space craft were not built with any special shielding for intense radiation, neither were the astronaut suits made for extreme radiation exposure. How did the crew survive a trip through the bands and how did the ship survive with apparently no adverse reaction to the radiation? Another curious point, why hasn’t any other country put a man on the moon?
Just something to think about, things aren’t always what they seem.