{"id":2547,"date":"2013-05-31T05:45:26","date_gmt":"2013-05-31T05:45:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=2547"},"modified":"2013-05-31T05:45:26","modified_gmt":"2013-05-31T05:45:26","slug":"mars-voyage-radiation-level-found-in-range-expected-improved-shielding-can-deal-with-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=2547","title":{"rendered":"Mars voyage radiation level found in range expected – Improved shielding can deal with it"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Thursday NASA released the results of a study of radiation dosages measured on the Curiosity rover during its flight from earth to Mars.\u00a0 Radiation Measured by NASA’s Curiosity on Voyage to Mars has Implications for Future Human Missions – NASA<\/a><\/p>\n

This led to some articles with headlines like this one: NASA: Mars Travelers Would Get Fried By Radiation – Popular Science<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, such headlines are sensationalistic over-reaction. As indicated in a report in Nature (link via Bob Zimmerman<\/a>), the radiation level is about what was expected and it appears the dosage can be reduced to acceptable levels for human spaceflight to Mars by using shielding that is attainable : Spacecraft data nails down radiation risk for humans going to Mars: Improved shielding technology could keep exposure within acceptable levels – Nature <\/a><\/p>\n

[Physicist Sheila Thibeault of NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center] says that she is heartened by the new study because she had feared that the radiation dose might be considerably higher. The results suggest \u201cthat this is a problem we can solve\u201d, she adds.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As indicated in the Nature article, hydrogenated shielding is ideal. Besides the new materials discussed, the habitat for a Mars crew can be designed in a manner that surrounds the living areas with the water, food, waste,and fuel that they will be carrying anyway. This will add up to significant amount of hydrogenated shielding.<\/p>\n

I’ll also note that the worst case dosage, “0.66 sieverts of radiation during the voyage to and from the planet”, would increase the crew’s chance of cancer by 3 to 4 per cent. This is consistent with what the Inspiration Mars<\/a> project has said that they were expecting to deal with. It appears now that they can improve on this since they are planning to use the above shielding techniques with water, food, etc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Thursday NASA released the results of a study of radiation dosages measured on the Curiosity rover during its flight from earth to Mars.\u00a0 Radiation Measured by NASA’s Curiosity on Voyage to Mars has Implications for Future Human Missions – NASA This led to some articles with headlines like this one: NASA: Mars Travelers Would … Continue reading Mars voyage radiation level found in range expected – Improved shielding can deal with it<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-living-in-space","category-space-systems"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-F5","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3153,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=3153","url_meta":{"origin":2547,"position":0},"title":"Two views of radiation and Mars expeditions","author":"TopSpacer","date":"July 3, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Bas Lansdorp, co-founder and CEO of Mars One, discusses radiation exposure Mars settlers and how they plan to deal with radiation shielding for their Mars base: Radiation Fears Should Not Hold Back Mars One Mission - Space.com. 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