[ RadSafe ] Mission to Mars - Long story short

[Alan Stahler]

Cosmic radiation is particulate radiation; it includes nuclei Z>1, energies > 
nuclear
Material shielding would be (prohibitively?) massive
Equipment to provide electromagnetic shielding would be (prohibitively?) massive
Radioprotectants (eg, chelators) are not relevant
Most "realistic" solution might be GM astronauts
-Al Stahler
"Soundings" - KVMR-FM


________________________________
From: Maury <maurysis at peoplepc.com>
To: Mike Brennan <Mike.Brennan at DOH.WA.GOV>
Cc: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Sent: Thu, June 30, 2011 12:38:06 AM
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Mission to Mars

Would one of you correct my impression that radiation levels in or 
beyond the Van Allen Belts make 'farther out' manned missions 
prohibitive thus far ....?
Thanks,
Maury&Dog [MaurySiskel maurysis at peopelpc.com]
===========================================

On 6/29/2011 5:33 PM, Brennan, Mike (DOH) wrote:
> The best first step towards a manned mission to Mars would be the
> development of a space elevator, which is probably a decade of so from
> having all the pieces necessary.
>
> Right now the cost per kilo of getting things out of the gravity well is
> too high to allow for anything but a barest bones trip; more PR than
> science.  Until the price comes down a lot getting the propulsion plant,
> fuel/reaction mass, supplies, and shielding is prohibitive.
>
> Personally, I would like to see a lot more robotic missions, to Mars,
> the Moon, and Jupiter.  I think we have reached a point where the
> capabilities of unmanned craft are so high that space travel will have
> to be almost free before the trade-off is in favor of manned missions.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
> [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of
> JPreisig at aol.com
> Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 2:25 PM
> To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Mission to Mars
>
> Hello Again,
>
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