Cosmic radiation is one of the most important stopping factors for manned exploration of the nearest (and not only) space by mankind. More recently, the HI-SEAS V research program, which took place in an isolated area of the Hawaiian Islands, was completed and aimed at testing human physical and psychological capabilities. And while all interested people are waiting for what new SpaceX will offer with regards to its so far fantastic plans for the colonization of Mars, the NASA aerospace agency has embarked on a new, more applied HRP (Human Research Program) program aimed at finding a solution to the issue of radiation effects on the human body.
“Determining the effects of prolonged exposure to radiation on astronauts is a complex process. It is difficult to determine exactly how radiation interacts with tissues and cells. It is even more difficult to understand what negative effects in the future will manifest from the effects of this radiation. It's not just about disease, but the overall effects of radiation on the healthy functioning of the biological system,”says NASA physicist Tony Slaba.
Radiation can harm almost any cell in a living organism. Therefore, the task of the HRP project is to determine the expected consequences on the body, including the development of cancer or any negative effects on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. It has already been proven that cosmic radiation is capable of compressing and making arteries less elastic, harming the heart, and also leading to the development of cardiovascular diseases by destroying cells in the tissues of blood vessels. In addition, radiation can interfere with neurogenesis (replacing old cells with new ones), damaging or completely destroying existing neuronal cells much faster than the body can repair or replace them. This, in turn, can manifest itself, for example, in the form of a memory deficit and impairment of other cognitive functions.
“One of the most serious effects of radiation on cells can be DNA damage. There is the possibility of breaking entire chains,”explains Peter Guida, biologist at NASA's Space Radiation Laboratory.
“The cells are trying to repair this damage. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not very well. And sometimes the restoration can be done incorrectly. Genes that have received the wrong repair can lead to mutations, and the accumulation of these mutations over time can lead, for example, to the development of cancer."
While some of the effects of prolonged exposure to cosmic radiation on the body may be similar to those of radiation on Earth, the study sees cosmic radiation as a separate issue.
“In space, outside the protective magnetic field of the Earth and the atmosphere, there is a complex radiation field of protons, and all elements from the periodic system can accelerate almost to the speed of light. The effects of radiation in space are different from the effects of radiation on Earth (for example, from the same X-rays and gamma rays). It is unique in nature."
The HRP project wants to find really effective means that will protect astronauts who are going to go to the same Mars. One of the options, although not solving the problem, but minimizing its consequences, is to reduce the time of exposure to radiation. This requires the use of faster rockets, which will allow you to spend less time in space. Special pharmaceuticals and special shielding materials can also come to the rescue, which will be used both in the skins of spacecraft and in the suits of future space colonizers.
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Nikolay Khizhnyak