---
title: "It Turns Out Rust Is… a Great Shield for Deadly Space Radiation"
description: "It turns out that a thin coating of powdered rust could serve as a killer, lightweight shield against deadly cosmic radiation."
date: "2020-02-14"
modified: "2020-02-14"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/rust-shield-deadly-space-radiation"
categories:
  - "Off-World"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "cosmic radiation"
  - "rust"
  - "space"
  - "the digest"
---

# It Turns Out Rust Is… a Great Shield for Deadly Space Radiation

![It turns out that a thin coating of powdered rust could serve as a killer, lightweight shield against deadly cosmic radiation.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/scientists-rust-incredible-shield-deadly-space-radiation.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Laitr Keiows\</em\>*

## Rust to Riches

Lifehack for future space commuters: Leaving your ship out in the rain could save your life.

That's because new research suggests a layer of powdered rust is a particularly effective shield when it comes to blocking [dangerous cosmic radiation](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/mars-radiation-mouse-brains>) — the kind that bombards astronauts and their equipment once they leave the safety of Earth's atmosphere.

## Bucket Of Bolts

Protecting astronauts from cosmic rays is one of the great challenges that needs to be solved before space agencies can send a crewed mission to Mars or beyond — [that much exposure](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-radiation-mars-mission-deadly>) is simply too dangerous given current shielding technology.

But oxidized metal, especially gadolinium (III) oxide, blocks more radiation by weight than anything else out there, [according to research](<https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969806X19308539>) published last month in the journal *Radiation Physics and Chemistry*. The study, a joint effort of Lockheed Martin and North Carolina State University, could give engineers a new tool for keeping crewmembers safe during long forays into space.

## Light Armor

The layer of powdered gadolinium rust would be able to block radiation — without adding on more and more bulk.

"Our approach can be used to maintain the same level of radiation shielding and reduce the weight by 30% or more, or you could maintain the same weight and improve shielding by 30% or more — compared to the most widely used shielding techniques," NC State nuclear engineer Rob Hayes [said in a press release](<https://news.ncsu.edu/2020/02/smaller-lighter-radiation-shielding/>). "Either way, our approach reduces the volume of space taken up by shielding."

**READ MORE:** [Researchers Develop Smaller, Lighter Radiation Shielding](<https://news.ncsu.edu/2020/02/smaller-lighter-radiation-shielding/>) \[North Carolina State University\]

**More on cosmic rays:** *[NASA Is Sending Dummies Around the Moon To Test Cosmic Radiation](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-sending-dummies-moon-test-cosmic-radiation>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)