The new findings highlight several materials, including certain plastics, rubber, synthetic fibres and Martian soil, as effective radiation shields for astronauts on Mars. The discovery paves the way for safer, longer-duration human missions and supports future colonisation efforts such as the UAE’s Mars 2117 project.

Radiation protection of Mars

Scientists have identified certain materials, including certain plastics, rubber, and synthetic fibers, as well as Martian soil (regolith), that could effectively shield astronauts from harmful cosmic radiation on Mars. These findings could impact the design of protective habitats and spacesuits, making long-term missions to Mars more feasible. Because Mars lacks Earth’s thick atmosphere and magnetic field, astronauts exploring the planet would be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation.

Dimitra Atri, a researcher at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Science and leader of the Mars Research Group at the NYU Abu Dhabi Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, and lead author Dionysios Gakis of the University of Patras, Greece, report these new findings in Modeling. The effectiveness of radiation shielding materials to protect astronauts on Mars” was published in the journal European Physical Journal Plus.

Modeling and efficiency of materials

The researchers used computer simulations to simulate radiation conditions on Mars to test a variety of standard and new materials to determine which would best shield cosmic radiation, and determined that complex materials such as certain plastics, rubber, and synthetic fibers could be effective. Martian soil (regolith) was also somewhat effective and could be used as an additional layer of shielding. They also showed that aluminum, the most commonly used material, could also be useful in combination with other low atomic number materials. The study also used real-world data from Mars from NASA’s Curiosity rover to confirm these findings.

Implications for future missions to Mars

“This innovation improves astronaut safety and makes long-term missions to Mars a more realistic possibility,” Atri said. “It supports future human space exploration and potential human bases on Mars, including the UAE’s Mars 2117 project and its goal of creating a city on Mars by 2117.”

“Many materials were specifically tested in a simulated Martian environment, ensuring our results are directly applicable to future missions and optimizing the combination of advanced materials with natural resources available on Mars,” Gakis added.