For years, there's been talk of one day mankind living on Mars. <\/p>\n
And in recent times, with the likes of Elon Musk seemingly on a one-man crusade to get there first, it looks like it might happen fairly soon. <\/p>\n
But according to one of the most recent studies into the viability of human life on the Red Planet, it might not be as easy as you'd think. <\/p>\n
Yep, research carried out by team at UCLA looked to answer two key questions - the first being around the impact of particle radiation and whether it would pose too grave a threat to human life. <\/p>\n
The second was whether the timing of a mission to Mars could protect astronauts and the spacecraft from radiation? <\/p>\n
To answer both questions, the scientists used geophysical models of particle radiation for a solar cycle and models of how radiation could affect both human passengers and a spacecraft. <\/p>\n
Now, the good news is that the answers to their two questions were 'no' and 'yes', respectively. <\/p>\n
According to the scientists' calculations, the spacecraft should provide enough protection during the round trip to and from Mars for the astronauts. <\/p>\n
However, if the material the spacecraft is built with is too thick, then it could actually increase the amount of secondary radiation. <\/p>\n
They also noted that this would largely be dependent on the timing of the mission as well. <\/p>\n
Researchers claimed the best time to leave Earth would be when the solar activity is at its peak. <\/p>\n
This is because during the 'solar maximum' the most dangerous particles are deflected, thus shielding the astronauts from the worst of it. <\/p>\n
On the other hand, the bad news is that experts recommended humans should spend no longer than four years on any mission to the planet. <\/p>\n
According to the study, which was published in the Advancing Earth and Science Journal, beyond this point, the levels of radiation become unsafe. <\/p>\n
It reads: \"Our calculations clearly demonstrate that the best time for launching a human space flight to Mars is during the solar maximum, as it is possible to shield from Solar Energetic Particles. <\/p>\n
\"Our simulations show that an increase in shielding creates an increase in secondary radiation produced by the most energetic GCR, which results in a higher dose, introducing a limit to a mission duration. <\/p>\n
\"We estimate that a potential mission to Mars should not exceed approximately four years. <\/p>\n
\"This study shows that space radiation imposes strict limitations and presents technological difficulties for the human mission to Mars, such a mission is still viable.\" <\/p>\n
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Mars declared unsafe for humans to live as no one can survive for longer than four years - UNILAD<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For years, there's been talk of one day mankind living on Mars. And in recent times, with the likes of Elon Musk seemingly on a one-man crusade to get there first, it looks like it might happen fairly soon. Continue reading