Thousands want to colonize Mars, but is it possible to establish a viable extraterrestrial human civilization? This question is asked by scientists from NASA’s Ames Research Center, who are attempting to predict whether humanity will be able to successfully reproduce beyond the planet Earth.
Experts agree that cosmonauts sent to colonize Mars should not become pregnant while on the road. Any female embryo conceived in space will almost certainly be sterilized by high-energy radiation particles.
This will seriously hinder the building of a successful colony, scientists say, quoted by Daily Mail. DNA that manages the development of the embryos and the work of all cells can easily be damaged by the radiation that will bombard the cosmonauts on the road to Mars – and most likely on the planet itself.
Biophysicist Torre Straume from “Ames”, who calculates the dangers of radiation with two of his colleagues, explained that this is a specific type of harmful radiation. Studies in primates have shown that even small doses of ionizing radiation sufficient to kill most eggs of emerging female embryo in the second half of pregnancy.
If the same principle applies to humans, no girl conceived outside the Earth will be able to give birth.
Solar protuberances, which emit powerful flows of charged particles among the planets, are also dangerous. However, according to Straume, it is highly possible that the astronauts will be protected from them. Radiation from outside the Solar System proved to be a more powerful threat.
These charged particles have the ability to literally blow up biological molecules such as DNA and easily penetrate the aluminum coating of spacecraft in open space. Strong radiation can also result in mentally retarded newborns who face a variety of health risks.
According to NASA’s Code of Conduct, astronauts must at all times maintain “trusted relationships” with each other and strive for “professional standards.” Whether these standards will apply to sex in space only future will show.
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