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Strange Universe With Bob Berman
Strange Universe

Radiation on Mars

By Bob Berman
Published July 13, 2025 at 9:35 AM EDT
1 of 1  — NASA_Mars_Rover.jpg
NASA/JPL/Cornell University, Maas Digital LLC

Twelve years ago, NASA's Curiosity rover journeyed to Mars with instruments that measured space radiation for the first time en route. The findings were sobering: astronauts would face radiation doses equivalent to a full-body CT scan every few days—raising cancer risks by 3–4% on the trip alone. Most of this came from galactic cosmic rays, which spacecraft walls can’t block. And this didn’t even include the added threat of solar storms. To send humans safely to Mars, solving the radiation challenge is essential.

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