A new finding on radiation is expected to help boost the UAE’s efforts to build the first human settlement on the Red Planet by 2117.
Dr Dimitra Atri, a research scientist at Centre for Space Science, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), said: "Radiation is one of the biggest roadblocks in planning long-term space missions, especially the project to establish a human presence on Mars.”
"We found that radiation exposure to astronauts is comparable to the dose that cancer patients receive during radiation treatment,” he further added.
Dr Atri’s team compared their calculations with radiation therapy data to estimate health risks to astronauts resulting from Galactic Cosmic Rays and Solar Proton Events on Mars.
"Equipped with this knowledge, we will be in a better position to develop technologies to mitigate the impact of radiation and help with UAE's efforts to establish a human base on Mars. We will be publishing our findings very shortly and share our results with the scientific community in the UAE and abroad," Dr Atri explained.
UAE’s Mars 2117 project includes the development of a programme that will help prepare Emiratis for Mars and space exploration.
The project will also extensively research themes involving building houses, producing energy and food, and finding faster means of transportation for travelling to and from Mars.