ROOM
39
Astronautics
William West
Graduate of the
Space Policy Institute,
George Washington
University, USA
Planning for health,
sex and sleep on a
future Mars colony
injured members. Treatment requires the use
of limited medical and human resources and
prolonged illness, injury or even death would
impact designated tasks. The human health
challenges of a Martian colony calls for pragmatic
planning at a basic level.
A well-functioning Martian colony would need
to address numerous issues related to human
health and well-being in space. While many of
these areas may be fascinating - such as human
reproduction in space - their discussion at this
time is almost entirely speculative. Clearly, the
ability to reproduce is essential for the health and
sustainability of any colony but it is an area of that
still needs considerable study. Here we will focus
on ‘immediate’ health needs of the first generation
of Martian colonists - radiation, gravity, circadian
dysrhythmias, life-support systems, mental health,
and public health.
Radiation
Radiation is a major challenge for human space
travel. Away from Earth’s protective magnetic field,
two key types of radiation are of concern: solar
particle events (SPE), which largely consist of low-
energy protons and originate from the Sun; and
galactic cosmic radiation (GCR), which is composed
of high-energy protons plus heavier nuclei and
originates from beyond the solar system.
Known consequences of radiation exposure
include cancer, reduced fertility, cataracts,
cardiovascular and central nervous systems
problems, and inheritable genetic mutations.
Particularly intense exposure at one time can result
in acute radiation syndrome (ARS), which can lead
to nausea, vomiting, skin damage or even death
within a matter of days. Radiation exposure may also
aggravate the effects of bone loss due to reduced
gravity conditions.
Since Mars lacks a magnetic field or protective
atmosphere comparable to Earth, countermeasures
against radiation would be needed. Certain
consequences of radiation - ARS, cataracts and
cardiovascular effects, for example - occur
predictably and correlate with the severity of the
radiation exposure. Even space radiation exposures
of less than two weeks without adequate protection
have been shown to increase the long-termmortality
from heart disease.
A basic countermeasure is to simply establish limits
for maximum acceptable doses of radiation but this
alone will not be sufficient to protect the colonists, so
Kris Lehnhardt
Dept Emergency
Medicine, School
of Medicine &
Health Sciences,
George Washington
University, USA
The concept of humans living on Mars is shifting
slowly from the realm of science fiction into
technological reality
