How Not to Die on Mars

1. Landing

Here’s the thing, the dangers of the red planet actually begin before you’re even on the surface. In fact, it’s getting to that surface that is the issue. Mars has a very thin atmosphere, which means that to land safely, we’re going to need a lot of support.

On Earth, we can use parachutes and the natural drag of our thicker atmosphere to slow us down as we fall towards the ground, which we call aerobraking. With a thinner atmosphere, the mission of slowing yourself from speeds of 13,000mph to just a few mph is a lot harder and takes a lot of effort to get right. The landing is going to be risky and making things worse is the name

“The seven minutes of terror!”

Also referred to as “Entry, Descent, Landing”, missions to Mars will have a tense seven-minute landing process that could go wrong at any time.

Hitting the rusty surface at uncontrollable speeds is unlikely to go well for you, so it’s a good thing you have a few safety measures to prevent making a new Martian crater. Adding to the “terror” is that you are completely at the mercy of the landing team. Signals to Earth’s mission control take too long to be of any use, and by the time you’ve signalled for help, you may well already be on the planet.

3. Radiation

The radiation exposure on Mars is a bit different to here on Earth, again thanks to that thin atmosphere doing little to protect the planet. Because of this, astronauts will find themselves in an increasingly radioactive setting.

Radiation is caused by highly charged particles coming down from the Sun or artificial methods created by humans. These particles can be good! We can use them to clean medical equipment, and it can help provide us with vitamin D. But when exposure increases, those charged particles begin to attack our bodies, damaging our DNA and can cause untreatable diseases that are life threatening.

The radiation levels on Mars sit at around 0.67 (funny number) millisieverts (mSv) a day. That probably means nothing to you, but it is the equivalent of a full body x-ray scan or eating 6700 bananas each day. Did you know bananas are a little bit radioactive? Weird. 

Anyway! One or two days is fine, nothing to report. But increased exposure will make you feel worse, your sickness chances will increase and eventually, so will the chances of death. Especially risky is being unprotected when a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) occurs. A CME happens when the sun blasts some radiation and plasma out into the Solar System. We're protected from that extra radiation on Earth but on Mars those levels could really spike! So don’t risk it and use the adequate space suit protection! And if you want to learn more about Coronal Mass Ejections and the Sun, listen to our podcast episode about it!

5. Dust Devils

I’m not talking Dungeons and Dragons when I say Dust Devils, that would probably be easier to contend.

Martian Dust Devils are vortices (like a tornado) that roam the rusty surface, gathering debris as they move. They can be up to 200ft in width and move at around 12mph. I want every astronaut to read carefully: Pay attention to your surroundings! You don’t want to be turned into paste because you were too busy disassociating, do you? Look around and be aware of any dusty tornados hurtling your way, and if you’re vigilant you should avoid being blinded and then pummelled by debris or having tiny pieces of grit find their way into your spacesuit. 

The grit is going to be electrically charged, as the particles are going to be constantly smashing into each other, which poses a threat to electrical equipment on your suit. It will stick to surfaces, including your helmet, and may find its way into the crevices on your suit. Don’t go breathing those pieces of grit in, as they’re sharp and jagged. Imagine swallowing a handful of needles or screws, it would feel the same.