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Radiation ‘could make missions to Mars impossible’, scientists warn

It's dangerous outside of Earth's atmosphere (ESA)
It's dangerous outside of Earth's atmosphere (ESA)

Space agencies including NASA are eyeing up Mars as a possible target after moon missions - but radiation could put paid to the idea.

Experts at the ESA say that astronauts on a mission to Mars could receive radiation doses up to 700 times higher than on our planet.

Our planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere protect us from the constant bombardment of galactic cosmic rays - but on a six-month mission to Mars, astronauts would be unprotected.

A team of scientists is now working with the ESA to work out how to protect astronauts on the long journey to the Red Planet.

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Physicist Marco Durante says, ‘One day in space is equivalent to the radiation received on Earth for a whole year.

Astronauts already show a higher percentage of early-onset cataracts.

But on the long mission to Mars, damage to the human body could extend to the brain, heart and the central nervous system, setting the stage for degenerative diseases.

Durante says, ‘The real problem is the large uncertainty surrounding the risks. We don’t understand space radiation very well and the long-lasting effects are unknown

Recent data from ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter showed that on a six-month journey to the Red Planet an astronaut could be exposed to at least 60% of the total radiation dose limit recommended for their entire career.

“As it stands today, we can’t go to Mars due to radiation. It would be impossible to meet acceptable dose limits,” reminds Marco.

ESA has teamed up with five particle accelerators in Europe that can recreate cosmic radiation by ‘shooting’ atomic particles to speeds approaching the speed of light.

Researchers have been bombarding biological cells and materials with radiation to understand how to best protect astronauts.

Durante says, ‘The research is paying off. Lithium is standing out as a promising material for shielding in planetary missions.’