Radiation hazard during a manned mission to Mars.
The radiation hazard of interplanetary flights is currently one of the major obstacles to manned missions to Mars. Highly energetic, heavy-charged particles from galactic cosmic radiation can not be sufficiently shielded in space vehicles. The long-term radiation effects to humans of these particles are largely unknown. In addition, unpredictable storms of solar particles may expose the crew to doses that lead to acute radiation effects. A manned flight to Mars currently seems to be a high-risk adventure. This article provides an overview on the radiation sources and risks for a crew on a manned flight to Mars, as currently estimated by scientists of the US National Administration for Space and Aeronautics (NASA) and the Space Studies Board (SSB) of the US National Research Council.
Jäkel
Oliver
O
Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany.
D018534:Earth, Planet; D006801:Humans; D018535:Mars; D011827:Radiation; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011835:Radiation Protection; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016082:Solar System; D013026:Space Flight; D014481:United States; D018557:United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration; D014919:Wind