SPACE RADIATION-DOSE ESTIMATES ON THE SURFACE OF MARS

A FUTURE goal of the U.S. space program is a commitment to the manned exploration and habitation of Mars.1An important consideration of such missions is theexposure of crew members to the damaging effects of ionizingradiation from high-energy galactic cosmic ray fluxes andsolar proton flares. The crew will encounter the most harmfulradiation environment in transit to Mars from which theymust be adequately protected. However, once on the planet’ssurface, the Martian environment should provide a significantamount of protection from free-space radiative fluxes. In current Mars scenario descriptions, the crew flight time to Mars is estimated to be anywhere from 7 months to over ayear each way, with stay times on the surface ranging from 20days to 2 years.1To maintain dose levels below establishedastronaut limits, dose estimates need to be determined for theentire mission length. With extended Crew durations on thesurface anticipated, the characterization of the Mars radiationenvironment is important in assessing all radiation protectionrequirements. This synopsis2 focuses on the probable dosesincurred by surface inhabitants from the transport of galacticcosmic rays and solar protons through the Mars atmosphere. © 1990 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.