Mars mission could fry astronauts’ brains

United States

There is never a good time to experience anxiety attacks, antisocial urges and neurological damage, but there is definitely a very bad time – while on a sixmonth voyage to Mars.

Scientists say these side effects are almost certain to afflict crew members if we send humans to Mars using current technology, because of the damage caused to the brain by cosmic radiation.

Their experiment, in mice, showed that the continual pummelling by subatomic particles was likely to cause personality and neurological changes.

Professor Charles Limoli, from the University of California Irvine, said it was further evidence that whatever advances were made in solving the engineering challenges of getting to Mars, the radiological ones could prove the hardest.

Even when crews get to Mars, the bombardment would not stop. Limoli suggests that in order to remain protected, early colonisers would have to hide in caves.

However, his research, published in the journal eneuro, suggests that they would possibly be irreparably damaged by then.

The study involved exposing 40 mice to continuous neutron bombardment for six months. For the first time in such an experiment, the levels used closely simulated the radiation experience of astronauts beyond Earth’s protective magnetic field.

The only humans who have ever exited the magnetosphere, which deflects particles away from Earth, were those who went to the Moon. While they were unprotected for a matter of days, a trip to Mars would involve months of travel.

The experiment found that at the end of the six months, the mice were more likely to avoid social contact, something which could be a problem in a confined spacecraft. They were also more anxious, measured by how long they chose to spend in darkened rooms. They also appeared to have problems with learning and cognition.

These personality changes matched physiological ones, spotted when the scientists examined the mouse brains.

Limoli, who is funded by Nasa, said the experiment showed that before anyone went to Mars, the space agency needed to develop a solution.

‘‘Nasa is concerned about inflight problems with cognition. I think what is most worrisome is if there is an unexpected situation and [astronauts] need to do problem-solving. They might be compromised.’’

His favoured solution is to generate a protective magnetic field around the ship – but this would probably require the use of an advanced power source that won’t be available for decades.

– The Times