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Using the data from the ExoMars mission, the researchers quantified the radiation risks on Mars. The data suggests that astronauts on Mars would be exposed to at least 60% of the total recommended radiation dose limit for their entire career during a long-term mission on the planet. Mars crewed missions are an essential part of the exploration program for many space agencies and radiation is an important environmental factor for space travel. It must be carefully studied for future missions on the red planet.
"One of the basic factors in planning and designing a long-term crewed mission to Mars is the consideration of radiation risk. The radiation doses accumulated by astronauts in the interplanetary space would be several hundred times greater than the doses accumulated by humans during the same period on the Earth and several times higher than the doses of astronauts and cosmonauts working on the International Space Station. Our results show that the trip itself would offer a very important exposure to radiation for astronauts. Jordanka Semkova, scientific head of the Liulin-MO instrument, said. Liulin-MO is a dosimeter attached to the ExoMars trace gas orbiter of ESA-Roscosmos. The instrument is responsible for recording radiation doses during the six-month interplanetary cruise to Mars.
The space environment still presents significant risks to human health, as astronauts traveling to space constantly receive harmful radiation. On Earth, the magnetic field protects us from this radiation and charged particles. However, Mars does not have a protective shield like the Earth's magnetic field, so its surface is directly bombarded by cosmic rays.
The ExoMars Liulin-MO dosimeter provides valuable data to help researchers study and quantify radiation risk. The instrument collects data since its launch in 2016. The data represent a one-year trip to and from the red planet and will be crucial for the development of protection techniques against space radiation.
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