In this paper, we reviewed our previous work concerning the responses of rare-earth (RE) doped fibers (Yb, Er and Er/Yb) to various types of radiations like γ-rays, X-rays and protons. For all these harsh environments, the main measured macroscopic radiation-induced effect is an increase of the linear attenuation of these waveguides due to the generation of point defects in the RE-doped core and silica-based cladding. To evaluate the vulnerability of this class of optical fibers for space missions, we characterize the growth and decay kinetics of their radiation-induced attenuation (RIA) during and after irradiation for various compositions. Laboratory testing reveals that this class of optical fibers is very sensitive to radiations compared to passive (RE-free) samples. As a consequence, despite the small length used for space applications, the understanding of the radiation-induced effects in this class of optical fibers …