Radiation makes human missions on Mars too dangerous: ESA

All of humanity, with the exception of a handful of astronauts, has the advantage of living in the protective bubble of the Earth's magnetic field. While space agencies and private companies are considering the future of people living on the moon and on Mars, we must face an unpleasant reality: radiation is deadly. Any attempt to send human beings to Mars at the moment would undoubtedly lead to serious health problems, but scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA) are currently studying the issue in the hope of making space sure for humanity.

We are all exposed to low levels of radiation on the Earth's surface, but most of it is deflected by our dense atmosphere and magnetic field. Mars has none, and even a spaceship designed to protect fragile organic beings can not stop all dangerous cosmic rays. A in space strikes astronauts with as much radiation as a year on Earth. ESA estimates that astronauts on Mars missions would receive radiation doses up to 700 times higher than on Earth.

Experiments such as the NASA Twins study have shown that spending time in the space could lead to long-term changes in gene expression and that problems might occur. aggravate as long as someone remained in space for a long time. Even on the International Space Station (ISS) under controlled conditions, astronauts are exposed to 200 times more radiation than pilots or radiology technicians. Mission control can interrupt the steps and escort maintenance if it is convinced that solar phenomena will increase radiation levels. This may not always be an option for long-term Mars missions.

ESA is collaborating with researchers from five particle accelerator laboratories in Europe. These facilities can simulate cosmic radiation by accelerating the atoms up to a significant fraction of the speed of light. Bombarding materials and biological samples with these particles can help assess the impact of cosmic radiation and test new ways to block it.

The upcoming launch of NASA's Orion test, currently scheduled for the summer of 2020, will give the ESA team another opportunity to study radiation that is beyond the protective influence of the Earth. The test dummies of this mission will have built-in radiation monitors to track the show during the three-week mission around the moon.

Research on the mitigation of cosmic radiation is already progressing. ESA researchers have found that lithium is particularly effective in protecting samples from hazardous radiation. Of course, lithium is unstable in the presence of moisture. It would take a lot of material research before lithium finds itself in the armor of spaceships. Whatever the case may be, the project of sending humans to Mars in the next few years still seems a little premature.

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