Moon Has Hazardous Radiation Levels, Putting Future Astronauts At Risk Of Cancer, Warns Study
A new study highlights that the radiation level on the moon is increasing putting future human expeditions to the Earths natural satellite at grave risk. The study notes that future astronauts to the moon will likely face two to three times more radiation than astronauts aboard the International Space Station. These levels of radiations are 200 to 1000 times more than what we experience on Earth.
As space agencies across the world gear up for the next lunar missions, a new challenge has arisen for these explorations. A new study highlights that the radiation level on the moon is increasing, putting future human expeditions to the Earth¡¯s natural satellite at grave risk.
Conducted by a Chinese-German team through data from the Chinese Chang'e 4 lunar probe, the study notes that future astronauts to the moon will likely face two to three times more radiation than astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
The recent observations are considered to be the first full measurements of radiation exposure from the lunar surface. The results show a dramatic threat to humans, if exposed to such levels of radiations.
(Representative Image: Instagram: @coldborders)
To put this into perspective, Robert Wimmer-Schweingruber of Christian-Albrechts University mentioned to AP that these levels of radiations are ¡°200 to 1,000 times more¡± than what we experience on Earth. These are also ¡°five to 10 times more¡± than what passengers on a trans-Atlantic airline flight experience.
He also points out that astronauts on the moon are likely to stay there for much longer than a trans-Atlantic airline, adding to the danger. Astronauts are at a great risk of Cancer from such levels of radiations.
A crucial confirmation
While Wimmer-Schweingruber confirmed that the radiation levels are ¡°close to what models had predicted,¡± the report cites Kerry Lee, a space radiation expert at Johnson Space Center in Houston confirming the same with earlier data.
Lee said, ¡±The levels measured by Chang¡¯e 4, in fact, agree nearly exactly with measurements by a detector on a NASA orbiter that has been circling the moon for more than a decade.¡±
Even though Lee was not a part of the study, he acknowledged that it is ¡°nice to see confirmation of what we think.¡± The new study falls in line with the scientists¡¯ present understanding of how radiation interacts with the moon.
A hurdle to overcome
NASA Artemis Mission (Representative Image: NASA)
With future manned missions lined up, space agencies will now have to take into account the level of radiations that the astronauts will be exposed to and the appropriate countermeasures for the same.
NASA recently laid out details of its upcoming lunar expedition under the Artemis program. The program will see a crewed mission to the moon in 2023, set to spend around a week on its surface. Eventually, a human base camp will be established that will help future explorations of the moon and beyond.
The new study, published in the U.S. journal Science Advances, highlights how the agency will have to take the radiation levels into consideration.
NASA said that it will have ¡°radiation detectors and a safe shelter aboard all Orion crew capsules¡± flying to the moon. Once on the surface, the crew will likely have to use lunar dirt to build thick shelters, around 80 centimetres thick, as per the German researchers. Any thicker and the dirt used to build the shelter will start emitting its own secondary radiation.
