Color image of Mars, taken by Rosetta in February 2007 | Image source: Wikipedia
We had the idea of landing on Mars a long time ago, but there are many potential troubles and dangers in the long journey to Mars. According to the data and information currently available, if humans really want to travel to the Red Planet, they should pay attention to possible brain damage, gastrointestinal problems, cancer and so on. A new study gives some advice on how to avoid these health problems, and in general, astronauts need to strategically choose departure times and control the total length of the journey.
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<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="5" > Mars is much like Earth</h1>
Mars is about half the diameter of Earth's | Image source: Wikipedia
Scientists believe that Mars has a thin atmosphere and abundant water ice underground. Mars has certain conditions for human beings to survive, has great development potential, and is closer to the earth, which is one of the first choices for human beings to move to the universe in the future.
But Mars is similar to Earth in many ways: Mars has a rotation period of about 24 hours and 39 minutes, almost the same as Earth's; in addition, the inclination of mars' axis of rotation is almost the same as that of Earth, so there are also four seasons on Mars. Mars is distinctly different from Earth in that the orbital period of Mars is almost twice that of Earth, so each season on Mars lasts 6 months instead of 3 months.
Because Mars has a polar crown (a bright white part near the poles of Mars, scientists believe it is made up of thin layers of ice), there are signs of water and volcanic activity on the surface. These signs are the main factors that led to the origin of life, so the existence of life on Mars has long been a matter of debate among astronomers. In order to find the answer to this question, humans have been constantly observing and exploring Mars.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="29" > puzzles that plague scientists</h1>
The sand-filled surface of Mars | Image source: Wikipedia
However, to send astronauts to Mars, scientists and engineers need to overcome a series of technical difficulties. One of them is that radiation from the Sun, other distant stars and galaxies can threaten the health of astronauts.
In a recent article published in the journal Space Weather, a team of scientists offered a partial solution to the problem.
They concluded that humans should be able to travel safely to and from Mars, provided that the spacecraft had sufficient ability to shield themselves from radiation and that the total length of space travel would be less than 4 years. In addition, the timing of human travel to Mars does have an impact on the success or failure of travel, and scientists have determined that the best time to fly away from Earth is when solar activity reaches its peak, the so-called solar maximum.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="31" > safely travel to and from Mars</h1>
The spacecraft flying to Mars (imaginary) | Image source: Pexels
Scientists' calculations suggest that the right timing of departure does indeed protect spacecraft flying to Mars from high-energy particles, because during solar maximums, the most dangerous and active particles from distant galaxies are deflected by increased solar activity.
"Such a long-distance trip is possible," said Yuri Shprits, a scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, "and the average flight time for humans to Mars is about 9 months, so depending on the launch timing and the use of fuel, humans may complete the mission to and from Mars in less than two years." ”
Scientists advise astronauts not to fly space missions for more than 4 years, because long journeys can expose astronauts to dangerous space radiation on a round-trip basis — even if they're heading to Mars at a relatively safe time. The article also points out that the risks on the mission mainly come from particles outside the solar system.
Mars' thin, dusty red atmosphere seen from space | Image source: Wikipedia
It was found that a spacecraft with a relatively thick external wall material could better help astronauts avoid radiation, but if the outer wall is too thick, it will increase the possibility of astronauts being exposed to more secondary radiation.
"There are two main types of harmful radiation in space, namely solar high-energy particles and cosmic rays, and the intensity of each radiation is related to the activity cycle of the star," Spris said, "cosmic ray activity is lowest in 6 to 12 months after the peak of solar activity, while the intensity of solar high-energy particles is greatest during the solar maximum." According to this, we can choose the right time to set off for Mars. ”
[Science of the Singularity is the copyright partner of Science Illustrated, a classic European popular science magazine, focusing on reporting exciting cutting-edge technological advances and allowing readers to see the future in advance.] 】
Resources
[1]https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210826111716.htm
[2]http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-2016331-948708.htmlncenet.cn/blog-2016331-948708.html