New Delhi: NASA's Mars Mission It will examine the impact of solar flares and other solar activity on Mars during this year's solar maximum, the peak of solar activity that occurs approximately every 11 years. Scientists want to know how these intense solar events could affect both. robot mission and the future human astronauts on mars.
Unlike Earth, which is largely shielded from solar radiation by its magnetic field, Mars has lost its entire magnetic field, leaving it more exposed to harmful solar particles. These vulnerabilities are important for space agencies to understand and plan for potential radiation risks to humans on Mars.
Shannon Curry, principal investigator for Nasa's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) orbiter, expressed keen interest in this phenomenon. “We don’t know for sure what the impact of radiation will be on people and assets on the Martian surface. During solar activity,” she said. “I would actually like to see a ‘big event’ on Mars this year – a large-scale event where astronauts can study solar radiation to better understand it before they go to Mars.”
Operating in orbit around Mars, MAVEN is equipped to study various aspects of solar radiation alongside the Curiosity rover as it roams the Martian surface. Curiosity's Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) has played a key role in understanding how radiation affects the Martian surface, potentially influencing the preservation of traces of ancient microorganisms and informing astronauts about necessary protective measures.
The interaction between Mars' thin atmosphere and solar radiation causes the particles' intensity to change each time they reach the surface. “You could have a million particles with low energy or 10 particles with extremely high energy,” explained RAD principal investigator Don Hassler. “MAVEN's instruments are more sensitive to low-energy instruments, while RAD is the only instrument that can see high-energy instruments as they pass through the atmosphere and reach the surface where the astronauts are.”
This research is not only essential for future manned missions, but also helps improve our understanding of environmental changes on Mars. NASA's study of solar maximum could provide insight into why Mars changed from a warm, humid environment similar to early Earth to the dry desert it is today.
Moreover, the timing of this solar maximum coincides with Mars' dustiest season, providing a unique opportunity to study simultaneous dust and solar storms and their effects on the Martian atmosphere, including potential water vapor loss into space. provide.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center manages the MAVEN mission, and Lockheed Martin is responsible for spacecraft and mission operations. The Curiosity rover, managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, continues to provide valuable data to help prepare for human exploration of Mars.
Unlike Earth, which is largely shielded from solar radiation by its magnetic field, Mars has lost its entire magnetic field, leaving it more exposed to harmful solar particles. These vulnerabilities are important for space agencies to understand and plan for potential radiation risks to humans on Mars.
Shannon Curry, principal investigator for Nasa's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) orbiter, expressed keen interest in this phenomenon. “We don’t know for sure what the impact of radiation will be on people and assets on the Martian surface. During solar activity,” she said. “I would actually like to see a ‘big event’ on Mars this year – a large-scale event where astronauts can study solar radiation to better understand it before they go to Mars.”
Operating in orbit around Mars, MAVEN is equipped to study various aspects of solar radiation alongside the Curiosity rover as it roams the Martian surface. Curiosity's Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) has played a key role in understanding how radiation affects the Martian surface, potentially influencing the preservation of traces of ancient microorganisms and informing astronauts about necessary protective measures.
The interaction between Mars' thin atmosphere and solar radiation causes the particles' intensity to change each time they reach the surface. “You could have a million particles with low energy or 10 particles with extremely high energy,” explained RAD principal investigator Don Hassler. “MAVEN's instruments are more sensitive to low-energy instruments, while RAD is the only instrument that can see high-energy instruments as they pass through the atmosphere and reach the surface where the astronauts are.”
This research is not only essential for future manned missions, but also helps improve our understanding of environmental changes on Mars. NASA's study of solar maximum could provide insight into why Mars changed from a warm, humid environment similar to early Earth to the dry desert it is today.
Moreover, the timing of this solar maximum coincides with Mars' dustiest season, providing a unique opportunity to study simultaneous dust and solar storms and their effects on the Martian atmosphere, including potential water vapor loss into space. provide.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center manages the MAVEN mission, and Lockheed Martin is responsible for spacecraft and mission operations. The Curiosity rover, managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, continues to provide valuable data to help prepare for human exploration of Mars.