Manned Mission To Mars Could Be Threatened By Bad Weather In Space
- 10 years ago
Sending the first manned mission to Mars would involve a series of risks, including long term exposure to the harsh environment of space.
Sending the first manned mission to Mars would involve a series of risks, including long term exposure to the harsh environment of space.
The trip to our neighboring red planet and back would take about a year, and estimates show that with the current levels of cosmic radiation prompted by a weakening sun, it is only safe for the average 30-year-old male to be in space for around 400 continuous days.
According to a recent study, the amount of radiation exposure that astronauts traveling to Mars would have to endure could pose serious health risks.
The magnetic field of the sun deflects some cosmic rays, but based on scientific data, the magnetic field’s strength is reportedly decreasing.
Lead author of the study Nathan Schwadron, associate professor at the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, and the Department of Physics at the University of New Hampshire in Durham is quoted as saying: “While these conditions are not necessarily a showstopper for long-duration missions to the moon, an asteroid, or even Mars, galactic cosmic ray radiation in particular remains a significant and worsening factor that limits mission durations.”
The study suggests that if the levels of magnetic solar activity weaken further, the amount of time that astronauts could safely spend in space would decrease by 20 percent.
Sending the first manned mission to Mars would involve a series of risks, including long term exposure to the harsh environment of space.
The trip to our neighboring red planet and back would take about a year, and estimates show that with the current levels of cosmic radiation prompted by a weakening sun, it is only safe for the average 30-year-old male to be in space for around 400 continuous days.
According to a recent study, the amount of radiation exposure that astronauts traveling to Mars would have to endure could pose serious health risks.
The magnetic field of the sun deflects some cosmic rays, but based on scientific data, the magnetic field’s strength is reportedly decreasing.
Lead author of the study Nathan Schwadron, associate professor at the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, and the Department of Physics at the University of New Hampshire in Durham is quoted as saying: “While these conditions are not necessarily a showstopper for long-duration missions to the moon, an asteroid, or even Mars, galactic cosmic ray radiation in particular remains a significant and worsening factor that limits mission durations.”
The study suggests that if the levels of magnetic solar activity weaken further, the amount of time that astronauts could safely spend in space would decrease by 20 percent.