Astronauts travelling to Mars or on long-term missions outside the protection of the Earth's magnetic field would face much higher cancer risk than conventional risk models suggest, a study says.

Astronauts might be even more at risk for developing cancer than previously thought, with the cells that are damaged by radiation in space turning against the body’s healthy ones.

The cancer risk for a human mission to Mars has effectively doubled following a UNLV study predicting a dramatic increase in the disease for astronauts traveling to the red planet or on long-term missions outside the protection of Earth's magnetic field.

We welcomed Dr. Francis (Frank) Cucinotta to the show to discuss the radiation risks for astronauts going to Mars and even living on Mars. Please note that Dr. Cucinotta has provided us with four .pdf papers you might want to review. These papers have been uploaded to the archives for this show.

Since the year 2000, humanity has maintained a continuous presence in space aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Reports of a new space race tell of NASA’s plan to send astronauts to Mars in the 2030s and SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk’s ambition to get private explorers there first. This race, however, can’t be won with either’s current technology, regardless of their spending or commitment.

Question: What would taking a leisurely trip to Mars do to an astronaut’s brain? Answer: Nothing good.