Survival and Sacrifice in Mars Exploration by Erik Seedhouse

Author:Erik Seedhouse
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

160 kilometers from base, Mertz died. In poor physical condition, Mawson was only able to cover eight kilometers per day – a distance that was reduced to just four by the end of January, since he was using so much energy dressing and redressing his many injuries. For days at a time, he was unable to make any progress because of vicious blizzards. On 8 February, he finally reached base camp, just in time to witness the expedition’s ship, the Aurora, leaving for Australia! Fortunately, a shore party had decided to wait for him, and Mawson was forced to spend another winter in Antarctica.

Astronauts bound for Mars won’t be faced with the brutal cold (well, not until they reach the surface at any rate) and crevasses endured by Cherry-Garrard and Mawson, but the environment through which they will travel will be no less lethal. One of the most deadly risks will be that posed by solar storms (Figure 4.10). Based on Mars-bound robotic missions, crews can expect to be exposed to precipitous rises in radiation levels due to solar flares at least four or five times during their trip. But the flares will be the least of the crew’s problems. While these storms can be dangerous, the particles released will account for only five percent of the total radiation exposure. By far the greatest dose will come from galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), which usually carry more energy than particles ejected by the Sun. And these particles will be constant: day in, day out, they will strike the spacecraft and the astronauts inside. Comparative radiation exposures are:

4.10Solar storm. Courtesy: NASA

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