---
title: "Traveling To Mars Will Blast Astronauts With Deadly Cosmic Radiation, New Data Shows"
description: "Based on new data, scientists predict the radiation exposure an astronaut will experience on the way to and from Mars accounts for 60% their career limit."
date: "2018-09-20"
modified: "2018-09-20"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin.md"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/radiation-exposure-mars"
categories:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "Mars"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "mars"
  - "radiation"
  - "the digest"
  - "trace gas orbiter"
---

# Traveling To Mars Will Blast Astronauts With Deadly Cosmic Radiation, New Data Shows

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/mars-radiation.png>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="http://exploration.esa.int/science-e-media/img/ba/ExoMars2016_TGO+EDM_separation.jpg" target="\_blank"\>ESA\</a\>\</em\>*

## RADIATION STATION

We already knew sending crewed missions to Mars [would be dangerous](<https://futurism.com/as-mars-mission-approaches-nasa-works-to-assess-risks-from-space-radiation.md>). Now we know that it will blast them with horrifying doses of cosmic radiation. The silver lead lining: now at least we know exactly how much, so we can prepare.

In 2016, the European and Russian space agencies launched the [ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO)](<http://exploration.esa.int/mars/46475-trace-gas-orbiter/>), an orbiting probe designed to monitor the Martian atmosphere. The TGO also collected radiation data during its journey from Earth to Mars — the same journey we hope to [send astronauts on](<https://futurism.com/boeing-beat-spacex-mars.md>) within the next decade — so now we know how much radiation they’ll encounter along the way.

## LEAD VEST

According to the researchers' calculations, which they presented this week during the European Planetary Science Congress, the 12-month round-trip journey to Mars would expose astronauts to 600 mSv of radiation.

That's the equivalent of about [600 chest x-rays.](<https://newatlas.com/astronauts-radiation-hazards-mars-missions/56409/>) It'd account for 60 percent of the astronauts' career radiation dose limit, the maximum amount of radiation exposure [experts predict](<https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/284273main_Radiation_HS_Mod1.pdf>) they could withstand without substantially increasing their risk of cancer, central nervous system damage, and other catastrophic health problems.

## CHOP'N'CREWED

The TGO calculations don't even take into account the radiation exposure an astronaut will experience while on Mars or in its orbit — just the radiation they'll suck up along the journey.

We're clearly going to need to figure out some way to [protect astronaut crews](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/future-astronauts-survive-radiation.md>) from this dangerous radiation. Knowing exactly what they'll be up against is a crucial step toward making that happen.

**READ MORE:** [Orbiter Data Confirms Manned Mars Missions Face Severe Radiation Hazards](<https://newatlas.com/astronauts-radiation-hazards-mars-missions/56409/>) \[*New Atlas*\]

***More on radiation: [Here’s How Future Astronauts Could Survive the Radiation of Space](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/future-astronauts-survive-radiation.md>)***

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)

## More

- [Mars Astronauts Would Get Horrifying Dose of Radiation, Study Finds](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/mars-astronauts-radiation-study.md>)
- [The First People to Colonize the Solar System Will Risk Deadly, Cosmic Radiation](<https://futurism.com/first-people-colonize-solar-system-will-risk-deadly-cosmic-radiation.md>)
- [Mars-Journey Levels of Radiation Seriously Damaged Mouse Brains](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/mars-radiation-mouse-brains.md>)
- [NASA Watching as Sun Blasts Mars to See Effect on Astronauts](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-watching-sun-blasts-mars-astronauts.md>)
- [European Space Agency: Radiation Will Make Mars Mission Deadly](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-radiation-mars-mission-deadly.md>)
- [As Mars Mission Approaches, NASA Works to Assess Risks from Space Radiation](<https://futurism.com/as-mars-mission-approaches-nasa-works-to-assess-risks-from-space-radiation.md>)
- [Mars Astronauts Will Face a Frighteningly High Risk of Cancer](<https://futurism.com/mars-astronauts-will-face-a-frighteningly-high-risk-of-cancer.md>)
- [It Turns Out Rust Is… a Great Shield for Deadly Space Radiation](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/rust-shield-deadly-space-radiation.md>)