Scientists calculate how long a person can spend on Mars

Posted:

September 5, 2021 23:11 GMT

According to the researchers, the optimal time to fly to the Red Planet corresponds to the maximum sun, when the intensity of the most aggressive radiation decreases.

The duration of manned missions to Mars may not exceed 4 years due to the risk to its members from radiation from the sun, stars and distant galaxies, according to estimates by an international group of scientists. They posted it His findings were recently published in the journal AGU Space Weather.

Researchers from Skólkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Russia), University of California (USA), University of Potsdam (Germany) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) evaluated the effect of cosmic radiation on the health of crew members. , as well as the constraints imposed by the weight of the spacecraft on the shielding materials, simulating the diffusion of particles within it.

Specifically, scientists analyzed two main types of dangerous radiation – solar energy particles (September) and Galactic cosmic rays (GCR, for its English acronym) – , the intensity of which depends on the activity of the Sun, affects various human organs and affects the spacecraft.

Calculations showed that a file The perfect time to fly to the red planet which lasts about 9 months, Corresponds to the maximum solar energy, since the intensity of GCR, the most aggressive type of radiation, decreases within 6-12 months after peak solar activity. However, even missions started during maximum solar power Cannot exceed 4 years, because after that time, the crew will be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation.

Similarly, it was discovered that the use of materials capable of providing additional protection against cosmic radiation is conditioned on the maximum permissible weight of the aircraft. In addition, over time, the materials used can begin to emit radiation They are the same.

In any case, the study shows that such a task “Probably,” despite the fact that “space radiation imposes severe limitations on how heavy a spacecraft can be and upon launch, and also presents technological difficulties for human missions to Mars,” Confirms Yuri Shpritz, a geophysicist at the University of California and one of the study’s authors.