Magnetic Shielding for a Mars Habitat

A primary challenge in completing a manned mission to Mars is the ability to protect from the ioninizing radiation of galactic cosmic rays and solar particle events, both during spaceflight and while on the surface of Mars. Advances in high temperature superconductors, which eliminate the need for liquid helium, have lead to several studies that employ active magnetic shielding as a means of deflecting charged particles. As part of this study, which is a continuation of work completed by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, the toroidal configuration employed by the Space Radiation Superconducting Shield (SR2S) European project for radiation protection during spaceflight is modified and investigated for long-term use on the surface of Mars. A COMSOL model is developed for the proposed design to explore the deflections of charged particles and the resulting habitat area. A Monte Carlo assessment is also implemented via GEANT4 to understand the absorbed dose as a result of unblocked particles. The study indicates that it is possible to block more than half of the ionizing radiation related to galactic cosmic rays on the surface of Mars via active magnetic shielding.