Tag: Radiation

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Lava tubes

“This would be the first time any of the children saw the surface. The colonists had built underground, using existing caves and lava tubes where possible, building and burying structures where necessary. This was to protect themselves from solar and cosmic radiation. On Earth, the atmosphere and magnetic field serve this purpose. But Mars has little of either, so dirt and rock filled the role.”
– from Scratching the Surface: Generation Mars, Prelude

A new paper explores lava tubes in the Hellas Planitia as possible habitats for humans.

These lava tubes could be the safest place for explorers to live on Mars
These lava tubes could be the safest place for explorers to live on Mars

The Martian surface is a radiation hot zone. But these lava tubes might offer safety.
livescience.com livescience.com
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Rust as radiation shielding

About that radiation… what about rust as a shield?
 
The research focused on shielding for electronics, but could this scale? Imagine our Mars transit ships being the same color as the planet itself, coated in a layer of rust for protection.
Researchers Develop Smaller, Lighter Radiation Shielding
Researchers Develop Smaller, Lighter Radiation Shielding

Researchers have developed a new technique for shielding electronics in military and space exploration technology from ionizing radiation.
NC State News NC State News
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The perennial question: Moon or Mars?

We don’t need to go to the Moon in order to go to Mars. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go to the Moon. It’s just not a prerequisite.

I love this quote from John Grunsfeld, when asked about the radiation risk of a Mars trip: “How does that compare to the risk of blowing up on the launchpad or on ascent; getting hit by a meteor, asteroid, debris, some kind of space junk on the way there; burning up in the Mars atmosphere; burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere on the way back; or missing the Earth? You add up all those risks, and the [risk of radiation exposure] is kind of just another one.”

The Pros and Cons of a Lunar Pit Stop
The Pros and Cons of a Lunar Pit Stop

NASA definitely wants to go to Mars. But does it need the moon to get there?
The Atlantic The Atlantic
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Hibernation

Hibernation during space travel is a common sci-fi trope, but I wasn’t aware anyone was actively working on it. What I find particularly compelling here is that hibernation could have positive effects on bone density change as well as helping mitigate the effects of radiation exposure.

Another thought occurs to me, though it is not mentioned here. Keeping the travelers contained in a small area opens up options for radiation shielding that might otherwise be prohibitive. What about sleeving the hibernation quarters in water, for instance? If that water could be mined from the Moon, the cost of lifting it for use in the craft could be acceptable.

For that long, long trip to Mars, plan on a lot of hibernation
For that long, long trip to Mars, plan on a lot of hibernation

Human hibernation is in only very limited use today. One company with NASA's backing is working to make it part of future interplanetary travel plans.
CNET CNET
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Solar Wind (Slight Return)

Circling back to my note on solar wind and the Martian atmosphere.

In the note, I described how the solar wind interacts with the ionosphere of Mars to create an induced magnetosphere. Recent data from ESA’s Mars Express mission suggests that this induced magnetosphere actually protects the Martian atmosphere from the ion loss expected to be caused by that same solar wind. Thus, the long held idea that the solar wind blew away Mars’ atmosphere is now in question.

The article below outlines an alternative hypothesis. Rather than losing atmosphere to the solar wind, maybe Mars can’t hold onto one because its gravity is just too weak.


Leaky atmosphere linked to lightweight planet

Leaky atmosphere linked to lightweight planet

The Red Planet’s low gravity and lack of magnetic field makes its outermost atmosphere an easy target to be swept away by the solar wind, but new evidence from ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft shows that the Sun’s radiation may play a surprising role in its escape.

phys.org phys.org