The US space agency “NASA” will return humans to the surface of the moon in 2025, but its manned missions to the red planet will not be implemented until 2030, and in the meantime, billionaire businessman Elon Musk believes that it may fail to send manned flights to Mars in the second half. . Second this decade, but the problem is that conditions on Mars can seriously damage many parts of the body and accelerate disease and death, even while wearing a spacesuit.
According to the English newspaper “Daily Mail”, these problems include cancer-causing radiation, muscle thinning and bone weakness, which is why being on Mars is very dangerous.
radiation – radiation
Mars has a thin atmosphere, about 0.6% of Earth’s, which means it is constantly exposed to intense galactic cosmic radiation and solar protons.
Every human being is exposed to this massive amount of harmful radiation at their own level, and is at risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, brain damage, and “cognitive decline.”
NASA estimates that during a six-month trip to Mars, astronauts will be exposed to 300 millisieverts of radiation, the equivalent of 24 CAT scans, before reaching the planet.
Areas of the body that are prone to cancer due to cell mutations are probably the eyes, lungs, and intestines, as well as the breasts and uterus in women.
And a 2020 study found that astronauts are exposed to 2.6 times more radiation than they are exposed to on the International Space Station, which increases the risk of cancer and infertility.
Other studies have shown that radiation damages the brain by impairing learning and memory capabilities and can leave astronauts disoriented and unable to make decisions.
Cosmic rays such as iron and titanium atoms cause severe damage to the cells they pass through due to their very high ionization rate.
Microgravity is a serious problem for astronauts during long-term spaceflight because it reduces bone density, increases the risk of bone fractures, and worsens muscle function.
The lack of gravity in space means that muscles hardly need to be worked, and astronauts must exercise intensely to avoid losing too much muscle mass.
Also on Earth, every time a person sits or stands, gravity pulls blood into their legs, and the heart works to keep blood flowing as it fights against gravity, which helps maintain its size and function.
According to a 2021 study, getting rid of the effects of gravity leads to a decrease in heart function and a steady deterioration. Microgravity is also thought to increase fluid pressure inside the head, possibly behind the eye, which could damage it. Vision.
Mars dust
Mars’ rocky surface is covered in volcanoes, canyons, and ancient debris, regular meteor impacts pose a constant threat to any future human colonists, and anyone who visits will spend all their time in a protected habitat or in a space suit. Recycled breathes. If the weather outside
But even if they do, they run the risk of Martian dust entering and polluting their airways.
Carl Kay Winter, a toxicology researcher at the University of California, Davis, in Calif., said he believes perchlorate has toxic effects in high doses by interfering with thyroid uptake of iodine.
Inhibition of iodine absorption can lead to a decrease in the secretion of thyroid hormones responsible for controlling growth, development, and metabolism.
Malnutrition
Another problem is the possible shortage of food and the resulting malnutrition, if there is no shortage of sunlight, water and radiation, an abundance of carbon dioxide (CO2) may be ideal for plant growth.
Although the diet on Mars does not meet the body’s needs, there are promising signs that humans could at least eat enough to survive.
