NASA 's Curiosity mission to Mars revealed that astronauts on a round-trip would face high radiation levels . Scientists at the UK 's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory are working on a radiation shield for astronauts . The RAL team now hope the project can be scaled up and fly on a real craft . A model has been tested inside a fusion reactor which produces a plasma like that of the solar wind . The idea is that it will protect against cosmic rays, but also prevent damage from other sources such as micrometeorites and meteorite impacts.
NASA 's Curiosity mission to Mars revealed that astronauts on a round-trip would face high radiation levels . Scientists at the UK 's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory are working on a radiation shield for astronauts . A model has been tested inside a fusion reactor which produces a plasma like that of the solar wind . The idea is that it will protect against cosmic rays, but also prevent damage from other sources such as micrometeorites and meteorite impacts.