NASA 's 2010 mission to Mars showed 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 plan is to create an environment around the spacecraft that mimics the Earth 's magnetic field and recreates the protection we enjoy on the ground -- they call it a mini magnetosphere . ` A model has been tested inside a fusion reactor which generates a plasma like that of the solar wind . The scientists are hoping to test their concept in space in the next five years .
NASA 's 2010 mission to Mars showed 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 generates a plasma like that of the solar wind . The scientists are hoping to test their concept in space in the next five years .