Cosmic cancer threatens manned Mars mission - research

Exploring deep space or colonizing Mars could be far more difficult than previously believed, according to new research looking at cancer-causing cosmic rays.

Health scientist Frank Cucinotta teamed up with Eliedonna Cacaoat, of the University of Las Vegas, to investigate the effect of cosmic rays. In the study, published in the journal Nature, the team examined results of previous studies into tumors in mice and found that the animals were twice as susceptible to cancer in deep space than previously thought.

The team believes previous studies failed to recognise that cosmic rays can spread from both the directly affected cell to secondary cells, damaging the DNA and turning them, too, into cancerous cells.

Shielding methods were also said to have only "modestly decreased" the amount of radiation the mice were exposed to.

Cosmic rays, which can also...