There may be a way to protect astronauts from radiation on Martian surface – WION

Leave Earth and its protective atmosphere along with its magnetic field and you will get bombarded with all sorts of cosmic raditions. These radiations are deadly and high exposure may even cause death. These radiations are a big factor that needs to be considered while designing spacecraft fit for human travel.

Mars is widely considered to be the next frontier after Moon as far as human space travel is concerned. But Martian surface is bombarded by cosmic and solar radiation as well. An astronaut may have to face these deadly rays while on the red planet.

But now we may have found a way to protect the astronauts by making use of geology of the Martian surface.

A new study has shed light on this. The study makes use of data from Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity. When MSL Curiosity landed on the surface of the Mars. It had an instrument called Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on board.

MSL studied the Murray Buttes region on Mars. Curiosity was to study the geology of Mars there. However, there was another observation that was important. A drop in the amount of radiation was seen. The drop was about by 5 per cent.

Though the drop in radiation is not absolutely significant, this has opened the possibility of exploring geological features on the surface of Mars that possibly may shelter astronauts.

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There may be a way to protect astronauts from radiation on Martian surface - WION