iD Ideas Discoveries March 2017

HOSTILE CONDITIONS

TheatmosphereonMarsismadeupofabout95%carbondioxide.

Oxygen only exists in the parts-per-thousand range. Furthermore,

temperatures as low as –200°F are the norm here.

DEADLY RADIATION

Marshasaweakmagneticfield,

so astronauts would be exposed

to carcinogenic space radiation.

Defensive shields made out of

13-foot-thick Martian rock could

protect the ground station from

exposure to the cosmic particles.

Mar 2017 50 ideasanddiscoveries.com

questions

Ask a simple question, get a simple answer? Think again! Scientists often have to work meticulously to come up with explanations
for basic processes— and sometimes they inadvertently discover marvels that can change our perception of the world.