Mars is often thought of as the planet in the solar system most like Earth, but only because the other planets are even less hospitable! If you were placed unprotected on Mars you would gasp painfully in poisonous carbon dioxide air that is only 1% as dense as Earth’s air, pass out in seconds, and die within 2 minutes. Your corpse would freeze rapidly - the global average temperature on Mars is -53 degrees Celsius (-64 degrees Fahrenheit) - then would mummify as the parched atmosphere leached out all the moisture from your body. Unshielded ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun would blacken your desiccated corpse; unless, of course, the ever-present wind-blown dust and sand buried it first!

Mars habitats and space suits would need to be airtight, have radiation shielding for protection from ultraviolet radiation, and be heated to protect against the cold temperatures. Winds can blow hundreds of miles per hour and can hurl the fine Martian dust with sandblasting ferocity. Dust storms can be global in scope and last for months. The dust itself is dangerous, and its fine nature can cause it to get into filters, machinery and electronics equipment. It will affect living environments, power plants, rovers, robotics, and spacesuits. Adaptation to Martian gravity (one-third that of Earth gravity) is another factor for human explorers we will discuss.

Questions to think about:

• What would be the characteristics of a Martian spacesuit?
• What precautions would you take to keep the astronauts safe from dust storms?

Space Medicine