While scientists and science fiction authors alike have long dreamed of sending crewed missions to Mars, a new study suggests these plans may hit a snag – a big one.
The authors of a yet to be peer-reviewed study argue that the participants of such a mission to Mars would end up being exposed to radiation – namely, to “energetic charged particles from Galactic and Solar origin” – both while in transit and while on the planet itself, with the “thin spacecraft shield” and “rarefied Martian atmosphere” offering little in the way of protection.
The research team attempted to gauge the impact of a simulated 1,000-day mission to Mars on various organs of the human body, and concluded that astronauts may be exposed to radiation doses above one Sievert, which is over the safe limit set by most space agencies, New Scientist points out.
“We suggest mitigation strategies such as improved ways of shielding and dietary supplements, and make recommendations for the safety of astronauts in future crewed missions to Mars,” the team wrote in the abstract of their work available on the arXiv preprint server.
Ideas about how astronauts may be protected from radiation during a mission to Mars have already been proposed, such as the concept of a radiation shield comprised of a fungus found growing at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Last year, one architecture studio even unveiled a project for a self-sufficient and sustainable city that would be built on the red planet itself.