Table of contentsToxic soilsAtmospheric hazardsConclusionReference listNever before in the history of humanity has it been possible to explore other planets and, in the future not so distant, this could become a reality. Technological advances in the 1960s resulted in the first visit to the Moon and these advances are behind the plan to revisit the Moon in 2024 and possible Martian exploration in the 2030s. other planets is strong and for Martian exploration to be successful it is essential that we plan for any problems that may arise when visiting Mars. There has been much debate for many years about whether to send humans to Mars, despite the many challenges associated with planetary exploration. Is it possible to send astronauts to Mars? Should we even consider extra-terrestrial space travel in the face of uncertainties such as limited oxygen levels, a thin atmosphere and 95% carbon dioxide, what astronauts will do in the event of a disaster? These basic necessities are essential to human health and it will be a significant challenge to ensure that they are abundant during global expeditions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Despite the dangers and uncertainties surrounding our ability to send people to Mars, technological advances in planetary science in the 21st century have made it possible for us to undertake a successful mission to Mars. Humans have always had the ability to adapt to their environment and on Mars it will be no different. In the following sections, I will explore the risk that these geohazards such as toxic soils, atmospheric composition, and radiation pose to astronauts. Indeed, for Martian expeditions to be successful, it will be essential to plan and attempt to mitigate the risks posed by these challenges associated with the Martian landscape. From there, I will explore the geohazards associated with the Red Planet, such as the geological, atmospheric, and radiological hazards that astronauts may encounter once on the Martian landscape. When researching these risks, the best outcome for a Mars mission to be successful is to minimize each problem. First of all, Mars differs greatly from Earth, the atmospheric composition, landscapes and soil types are different from our home planet. Below is a table comparing the different atmospheric and surface conditions on Mars and Earth. The conditions I will focus on are related to atmosphere, pressure, temperature and radiation exposure. From Horneck et al. A 2011 article on critical issues with human missions to Mars, it describes the differences between the two terrestrial planets and highlights where humans could be in danger. Toxic Soils For astronauts to safely navigate the Martian landscape, they must be wary of soils. which are found on Mars and dust as a product of soils. The soils of Mars are composed of iron oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and a toxic inorganic compound called perchlorate. When heated, they can become very explosive and are a powerful oxidizing agent. An experiment conducted and an article written by Jennifer Wadsworth and Charles Cockell (2017) showed that bacterial cells exposed to this chemical lost their ability to function in a very short time. "Iron oxides and hydrogen peroxide act synergistically with irradiated perchlorates tocause a 10.8-fold increase in cell death compared to cells exposed to UV light after 60 seconds of exposure". The effects of their experiment were profound. They used a plant cell called Bacillus subtilis and were irradiated in the presence of magnesium perchlorate found in Martian soils This experiment was carried out under a 254 nm radiation source, located in the radiation range to which Mars is exposed (200-280). viability of cells when exposed to these levels of radiation Navigation above Martian regolith is another important aspect to consider when transporting humans to Mars. Potential dangers associated with regolith include unstable movement. or instability of timely movement on the Martian surface Many of the possible challenges of Martian regolith are: mobility degradation (potential failure of vehicles on the soft Martian surface), collision instability (. possible collision of vehicles with rocks or other scientific equipment), mechanical failure (rock abrasion). tires and wheels and vehicle wear on Martian regolith) and rovers that move too slowly (in case of solar particle events, astronauts need fast transportation to shelter ). The nature of the Martian landscape can be seen in Figure 1 from Mars Curiosity Rover. These are the types of images that NASA can study in order to make surface explorations as safe as possible. Analysis of the surface for regolith stability and strength can be determined by images taken by the Curiosity rover. The analysis and study of Martian soil components is of crucial importance to assess the risk and minimize this problem, thus enabling a possible safe mission to Mars.Atmospheric RisksAs obvious as it may seem, Mars is very different from the Earth. The gravity on Mars is 3/8 that of the Earth (0.375 m/s), its atmosphere is quite thin compared to that of the Earth (610 Pa) which is composed of CO2 (95.32%), Nitrogen (2.6%) and Argon (1.9%). Temperatures vary from -143°C (min) to 35°C (max). The climate is cold and dry, causing dust to be distributed across the planet and this could prove a major challenge for future expeditions. Dust storms are one of the most prolonged environmental hazards on Mars. “Large-scale (regional or global) dust storms last more than a single sol (Martian day), or even several weeks; thus, they have a significant impact on atmospheric structure and circulation.” From these dust storms, thick mists can form up to 60 km altitude, covering the planet for perhaps weeks. Dust has always been a problem for expedition rovers, especially the Curiosity rover currently roaming the Martian landscape. “NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers, believed to have been produced by a passing dust devil, dust accumulation on the rover's solar panels diminishes their efficiency” (Calle et al. 2011). Additionally, it has been found that Martian dust can be toxic, as chromium has been discovered in the past. “Data from the Pathfinder spacecraft showed that chromium is present in Martian dust” (Calle et al. 2011). The issue of suspended dust on Mars constitutes a major problem for future Martian exploration missions. This problem is still present and finding a solution would be very difficult indeed. The only thing that can be done is to minimize this problem as best we can. According to Charles Cockell (2001), Martian PolarExpeditions: Problems and Solutions, it offers a possible settlement that could be useful in the event of dust storms for astronauts. take shelter. Even though it is a Martian polar expedition, it can still be used in the low latitudes of Mars. Space radiation is potentially the most critical issue to mitigate. The time humans are in space and on other planets increases their exposure to unknown particles in the Martian atmosphere. "Components of space radiation that are of concern are high-energy nuclei of heavier elements (high Z atomic number) - "HZE Articles", "Short-term consequences of radiation exposure are cell exhaustion sensitive tissues such as bone marrow and skin". "Long-term exposure to expected levels of solar and galactic cosmic radiation results in an increased likelihood of cancer and possibly changes in brain cells." (Schimmerling et al . 2003) According to Jakel et al. (2004), it shows that protection against galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar particles in spacecraft is currently inadequate and that this would only increase the exposure of astronauts: “ Typical spacecraft walls equivalent to a few g/cm3 of aluminum are not only inadequate to protect from GCR, but even increase the dose to astronauts inside the vehicle,” “Dose increases of 10% have been observed”. Previously, there were only a small number of humans in space, so we don't have much experience handling GCR or solar particle events that would impact preparation for future space missions. “As only 24 humans ventured beyond Earth's protective magnetosphere for up to 12 days (Apollo 17) and none encountered significant EPS during these missions” Hu et al. (2019). This article (Jakel et al. 2004) also presents some measures to try to minimize the problem as much as possible. It proposes "limiting the time and duration of exposure through various strategies, such as selecting older crew members, avoiding extravehicular activities (EVA) during nuisance solar particle events" and exposure protection, “computational tools have been developed to calculate how incident radiation is changed at any depth in materials. » This is an attenuation method that is currently used to estimate spacecraft shielding, but it obviously needs to be modified to suit astronauts on the surface. The three main geohazards on Mars that astronauts can encounter are terrestrial. (stability of regolith and toxic soils) Atmospheric (dust storms, lack of oxygen and solar winds) and radiation (GCR and SPE). Each has its consequences that could prevent successful exploration of Mars. The issue of toxic soils is of major importance if humans are to navigate the Martian landscape without falling victim to its potentially deadly components such as perchlorates. The atmosphere of the Red Planet is very thin, which could make the task very difficult for astronauts. Dangerous conditions such as dust storms can cover the planet for weeks or even months, blocking sunlight from reaching the surface. Solar winds can make explorations nearly impossible due to their unpredictability and unknown intensity. Finally, radiation is the biggest challenge of anything that has ever been present on Mars. The constant danger of ionizing radiation may prove unavoidable and the need.