Nov. 4, 2008 -- Scientists believe they have found a way of protecting astronauts from a dangerous source of space radiation, thus lifting a major doubt clouding the dream to send humans to Mars. Their breakthrough takes forward ideas born in the golden age of science fiction, including a proton shield used in the TV show "Star Trek," says one of the researchers. Space weather is one of the greatest challenges facing Mission Red Planet sketched by the United States and Europe for some three decades from now. Even the shortest round trip -- the distance between the two planets varies between 34 million miles and more than 250 million miles -- would take at least 18 months. During this time, the crew would be exposed to sub-atomic particles that whizz through space, capable of slicing through DNA like a hot knife through butter and boosting the risk of cancer and other disorders. The peril has been known for nearly half a century but has seemed insoluble because costs and technological difficulty. Some experts have toyed with the idea of shielding the crew with lead or massive tanks of water, but the price of lifting this load into orbit from Earth is mind-spinning. Related Content: Discovery News blog: Free Space Space Shield Could Protect Astronauts How Stuff Works: How Terraforming Mars Will Work Another idea, born in the 1960s, would be to swathe the spaceship with a replica of Earth's own magnetic field. Our weak two-pole field deflects incoming cosmic rays, protecting life on Earth as well as astronauts in low Earth orbit. According to these calculations, the spacecraft would have to generate a magnetic field hundreds of miles across. But such equipment would be huge and drain the ship's energy supply and its powerful field could well harm the crew. British and Portuguese scientists have taken a fresh look at this old concept and say the magnetic field does not, in fact, have to be huge -- just a "bubble" a few hundred yards across would suffice. "The idea is really like in 'Star Trek', when Scottie turns on a shield to protect the starship Enterprise from proton beams -- it's almost identical really," Bob Bingham of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford told AFP. More NewsMouse Cloned From Long-Frozen CellResearchers create a mouse from a long-frozen cell. Will the mammoth be next?'Bubble' Could Protect AstronautsScientists say a "bubble" around a Mars-bound spaceship could protect astronauts.Big Reduction of Snowmobiles in Yellowstone ProposedA new plan would cut snowmobile use by 40 percent in Yellowstone.Microbes: Fuel of the Future?A reddish South American microbe is literally breathing fuel, say scientists.DNA Links Remains to Steve FossetDNA tests on two bones found in California confirm they are those of Steve Fossett.Women Carry More Bacteria Than MenSome bacteria prefer women, suggests a new study. But why?Ancient 'Water Monster' Facing ExtinctionA foot-long salamander that was a key part of Aztec legend is threatened by extinction.Grand Canyon's Youth ConfirmedThe Grand Canyon is millions of years younger than previously thought, argue geologists.My Take: E-Voting Not User FriendlyOpinion: Electronic voting machines don't always capture the intent of voters.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.At 40, Brain and Body SlowThe part of the brain in charge of motion starts a gradual slide in middle age.Spiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates. |
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