According to foreign media CNET, humans have determined the idea of visiting Mars in person, but there is a troublesome problem of dangerous radiation in the long-term space flight to Mars. Scientists have raised concerns about possible brain damage, gastrointestinal problems and cancer on the journey to the Red Planet. A new study makes some recommendations for dealing with security issues, which may come down in part to strategically choosing the best travel time.
"This study shows that while space radiation has strict limitations on human missions to Mars and poses technical difficulties, such missions are still feasible," said a paper published this month in the journal Space Weather. It covers simulations that point out the best time to travel to Mars.
The paper points to two main types of dangerous particle radiation: solar high-energy particles (SEP) from the sun and galactic cosmic rays (GCR) from outside the solar system. The researchers note that the time known as the solar maximum — when our sun is at its highest activity level — is the ideal time for humans to travel to Mars.
Scientists at UCLA said in a statement Wednesday: "Scientists' calculations suggest that it is possible to insulate spacecraft flying to Mars from high-energy particles from the Sun, as the most dangerous high-energy particles from distant galaxies are deflected by enhanced solar activity during the solar maximum." ”
Scientists note that spacecraft designers will need to focus on protecting astronauts from SEP, but the impact of destructive GCR decreases during solar maximums. The team also recommends keeping the time of round-trip travel to Mars to less than four years, although the study acknowledges that this may change depending on the development of new shielding materials.