More shielding on moon and Mars ships probably isn't the answer, Cucinotta told Discovery News. The additional weight would make the spacecraft too heavy to launch with today's technologies. Faster ships to Mars may be one answer -- the current round-trip time is about 18 months -- or perhaps some sort of magnetic shielding that repels space radiation, though neither technology exists today. Another possibility is to select astronauts based on genetic factors that would make them more resilient to the effects of space radiation. "NASA and the other agencies may have to do it, but it'd be kind of disappointing to have to have these additional qualifications to be an astronaut," Cucinotta said. Pharmaceuticals that could repair cell damage and other harmful effects of spaceflight, unfortunately, do not seem to be an answer. "We'd all be cured of cancer on Earth if we knew how to do this," Cucinotta said. Related Links: |
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