Radiation on Mars is deadly – NASA rover surprises with data

Radiation on Mars is dangerous to humans. But now there are new details – thanks to the NASA rover “Curiosity”.

Frankfurt – The Tuesday* Earth’s neighboring planet is of great interest to mankind. In the 2030s, the American space agency wants NASA* First, send an astronaut to the red planet – but one point remains to be solved: Radiation protection for astronauts: inside.

Unlike Earth, which does not have a magnetic field or dense atmosphere, radiation from space can penetrate the planet’s surface without hindrance. NASA’s Rovers, which is currently doing research there, does not care about radiation – but it is dangerous to humans.

Radiation on Mars: Some terrain patterns can protect people

People who want to explore Mars in the future need protection from radiation – and they do not have to travel long distances from Earth to the red planet. The “Curiosity” rover, which recently discovered a “strange structure” on Mars, has now found a solution to this fundamental problem. This is at least as recommended by a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters and is based on data from NASA Rover “Curiosity”.

Leading author Guo Jingnan (University of Science and Technology of China) and an international research team are working with data from the Radiation Assessment Detection (RAD) instrument on the study Mars rover. It measures harmful radiation on Mars – whether it comes from the sun or from other sources. NASA has a name for an area where RAD can be measured in detail Murray Butts The “curiosity” to get stopped in this area for 13 days – while the RAD tool continued to collect data. According to the study, these data show a decrease in radiation.

Near Murray Butts (“butt” translates to “hardness” from English – it is a rock that is more resistant and therefore less corrosive than the surrounding area) the amount of radiation is about five percent less. Not more than five percent now – but any reduction in radiation helps in a harsh environment like Mars.

Mars: No amount of radiation protection, no matter how small, helps with space travel

There are two types of radiation on Mars: direct radiation from above, i.e. from the sun or from space. Indirect radiation reflected from the surface of Mars. In terms of indirect radiation, RAT data also shows something that should be important for future human research on Mars: the surface features of Mars could protect future astronauts from direct radiation, while amplifying indirect radiation. So it is not enough to look for a hard and shelter there – indirect radiation may increase there.

New research does not make it easier to understand radiation levels on Mars. In addition to the conditions under which radiation can change, there is also a distance between Mars and the Sun. Important things like the height a person is on Mars or the angle at which radiation penetrates through the thin Martian atmosphere can also make a difference.

Although this study does not provide a final solution to the radiation problem on Mars, it does offer other approaches. Space travel* May work in the future. Any natural radiation protection on Mars should be used in future space travel, or as Universe Today magazine puts it: “Extensive radiation maps covering the landscape will save lives.”

NASA rover “Perseverance” recently made a name for itself on Mars: it contains A rock sample was collected for the first time. Meanwhile, the Mars helicopter “diligence” comes as a surprise and NASA changes its plans. (Tab)* fr.de is an offer IPPEN.MEDIA.