ImageSearch

"There’s so much radiation spewing from space—originating from the sun and other astronomical objects—that even here on earth, under the protection of our hospitable protective atmosphere, UV radiation is still strong enough to damage the DNA within our cells.

In space, the damaging effects of radiation are intense. Radiation is energy, after all—it creates defects in materials, altering the material’s properties.

So it’s perhaps no surprise that radiation causes a lot of problems for spacecraft, spanning from gradual performance degradation to downright device failure."

http://ceramics.org/ceramic-tech-today/clear-cerium-oxide-coating-could-protect-space-electronics-living-cells-from-damage-of-uv-radiation

http://ceramics.org/ceramic-tech-today/clear-cerium-oxide-coating-could-protect-space-electronics-living-cells-from-damage-of-uv-radiation

http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/sciences/osm/radiation.asp

What kind of radiation are humans exposed to on Earth?
There are two types of radiation:

1. Natural background radiation from cosmic sources (e.g., galactic cosmic rays, solar radiation) and from terrestrial sources (e.g., radiation emitted by rocks, radon)

2. Manmade radiation (e.g., diagnostic X-ray imaging, nuclear reactors)

What kind of radiation are humans exposed to in space?

-Galactic cosmic rays (GCR) originating outside the solar system;

-Solar particles emitted by the sun during solar flares (solar particle events);

-Radiation trapped by the Earth's magnetic field.

"Solar flares can also fuel giant clouds of electrified gas, called coronal mass ejections, which can billow into the solar system and overtake Earth in a matter of hours or days.

These two space phenomena are harder to shield against and can be dangerous to astronauts. On Jan. 20, 2005, the International Space Station was struck by a proton storm so powerful that its crew had to take shelter in the bulkier Russian side of the station, in a section designed with such storms in mind."'

via space.com article "Solar Fare Hits Earth and Mars"

- personal training
- technical training
- group training

Journey to Mars

"The flight will take between seven to eight months (depending upon the relative positions of the Earth and Mars). The astronauts will spend those seven months together in a very small space—much smaller than the home base at the settlement on Mars—devoid of luxury or frills. This will not be easy. Showering with water will not be an option. Instead the astronauts make do with wet towelettes (wet wipes) as used by astronauts on the International Space Station."