Radiation Risks For Astronauts On A Mission To Mars

Radiation Risks For Astronauts On A Mission To Mars

www.sciencedaily.com

Space Agency (ESA) has chosen the GSI accelerator facility to assess radiation risks that astronauts will be exposed to on a Mars mission. GSI was selected because its accelerator is the only one in Europe able to create ion beams similar to those found in space. To determine possible health risks of manned space flights, scientists from all over Europe have been asked to investigate the effects of ion beams in human cells and organs. The first experiments will be launched this year and subsequently continued at GSI’s planned FAIR accelerator system.

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Do we know what effects on the bodies of the astronaut's that went to the moon were exposed to all those years ago? It seems strange to me that we have not advance enough to not be exposed to these elements and now they choose to do something about it. What happens to all those who have risked their lives before in vain of space reasearch and exploration?

www.sciencedaily.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

They openly accept that risk. Also, the astronauts going up in the shuttle aren't in space but what, two weeks at most? Compared to a mission to mars that will take at least 6 months. Thats a huge difference in exposure to radiation.

reply to post by zarlaan


While it's true the Shuttle missions are a short period, you're ignoring the fact that the ISS astronauts stay up there for months at a time.

Though they are not subject to the same radiation that Mars mission astronauts will be, at the very least they are studying the effects of zero G on humans, which is half the battle.



[edit on 14-4-2008 by verylowfrequency]

I'm not ignoring that fact, but I did fail to mention it obviously. They do have radiation shielding on the ISS and have upgraded it several times.

www.spacetoday.net...

Also, the level of radiation either on the shuttle or ISS, according to NASA, is a lot less then what can be expected in deep space. Thats what has them concerned is the higher concentration of radiation that humans will experience on the trip to Mars.

The main question to this thread is for the astronaut's that went to the moon and back. Looking at the technology back them to what we have now would they have not been more exposed back then?

reply to post by zarlaan


Failed to mention it indeed, when it is more relevant to a Mars mission then the shuttle's which you used for comparison.

The shielding will no doubt have to be made better than the ISS, how much better is the only question. Are we incapable of shielding them adequately, I think not.

[edit on 14-4-2008 by verylowfrequency]

In regards to the Apollo astronauts a quick google search came up with this article.

lsda.jsc.nasa.gov...


I'd be willing to bet they have had medical problems that could be traced back their Apollo missions to the moon. But, like I said they openly accepted that risk in the name of mankind when they chose to accept the mission. You can also bet they probably had to sign some sort of agreement that they couldn't hold anything against NASA etc.

Interesting that the exposure was quite low for the trip to the moon and back. I can now see the problems that would occur with a long mission to Mars and back, now that our sun is in a cycle where it is send flares and high level amounts of radiation from it in unknow spurts.

Originally posted by zarlaan

I'd be willing to bet they have had medical problems that could be traced back their Apollo missions

they probably had to sign some sort of agreement that they couldn't hold anything against NASA etc.

Though I have no knowledge of such, I'm leaning towards your idea. On a trip to KSC I considered purchasing a poster which has all the astronauts that went to the moon. Similar to this moonwalkers collectible, but the one with all those that went to the moon was only signed by 2/3 of them because the rest were already dead by the time the poster was created. So, from that knowledge I would guess their life expectancy is indeed less than those of us who have not been exposed as they have.

No doubt, they have signed a release - it would be nice if we could post a copy here.


[edit on 14-4-2008 by verylowfrequency]