Related papers: Fundamental Physical and Resource Requirements for…
If humanity is ever to consider substantial, long-term colonization of Mars, the resources needed are going to be extensive. For a long-term human presence on Mars to be established, serious thought would need to be given to terraforming…
A proposed design for radiation shielding in interplanetary travel is presented with primary shielding created by a superconducting split toroid magnetic field and unconfined magnetic fields created by two deployable superconducting loops.…
In this paper we explore the effectiveness of an artificial mini-magnetosphere as a potential radiation shelter for long term human space missions. Our study includes the differences that the plasma environment makes to the efficiency of…
Generating renewable energy on Mars is technologically challenging. Firstly, because compared to Earth, key energy resources such as solar and wind are weak as a result of very low atmospheric pressure and low solar irradiation. Secondly,…
Terraforming Mars can be evaluated with a set of system-level constraints linking (i) target pressures & compositions to required atmospheric inventories, (ii) target surface temperatures to the required radiative control, (iii) inventories…
Recent results showed that the magnetic field of M-dwarf (dM) stars, currently the main targets in searches for terrestrial planets, is very different from the solar one, both in topology as well as in intensity. In particular, the…
With most planets and planetary candidates detected in the stellar habitable zone (HZ) being super-Earths and gas giants, rather than Earth-like planets, we naturally wonder if their moons could be habitable. The first detection of such an…
Magnetically-sensitive experiments and newly-developed quantum technologies with integrated high-permeability magnetic shields require increasing control of their magnetic field environment and reductions in size, weight, power and cost.…
Landing robotic spacecrafts and humans on Mars has become one of the inevitable technological necessities for humans. Effectuating perfect Mars expedition requires landing of enormous cargoes, crewed modules, ascent vehicles, and scientific…
One-third of Mars' surface has shallow-buried H$_2$O, but it is currently too cold for use by life. Proposals to warm Mars using greenhouse gases require a large mass of ingredients that are rare on Mars' surface. However, we show here that…
The global-scale interior magnetic field needed to account for the Sun's observed differential rotation can be effective only if confined below the convection zone in all latitudes, including the polar caps. Axisymmetric nonlinear MHD…
Background: A solar sail presents a large sheet of low areal density membrane and is the most elegant propellant-less propulsion system for the future exploration of the Solar System and beyond. By today the study on sail membrane…
Warm dense matter is present at the heart of gas giants and large exo-planets. Yet, its most basic properties are unknown and limit our understanding of planetary formation and evolution. In this state, where pressure climbs above 1 Mbar,…
Context: The principle definition of habitability for exoplanets is whether they can sustain liquid water on their surfaces, i.e. that they orbit within the habitable zone. However, the planet's magnetosphere should also be considered,…
Mars lacks a global intrinsic dipole magnetic field, but its interaction with the solar wind generates a global induced magnetosphere. Until now, most studies have relied on single-spacecraft measurements, which could not simultaneously…
The aim of this study is to simulate the interaction of the solar wind with the Hermean magnetosphere when the interplanetary magnetic field is weak, performing a parametric study for all the range of hydrodynamic values of the solar wind…
The conditions that a planet must fulfill to be habitable are not precisely known. However, it is comparatively easier to define conditions under which a planet is very likely not habitable. Finding such conditions is important as it can…
Low gravity environment can have a profound impact on the behaviors of biological systems, the dynamics and heat transfer of fluids, and the growth and self-organization of materials. Systematic research on the effects of gravity is crucial…
The surface of Mars is bombarded by energetic charged particles of solar and cosmic origin with little shielding compared to Earth. As space agencies are planning for crewed missions to the red planet, a major concern is the impact of…
At the dawn of a new space exploration age, aiming to send humans back to the Moon and for the first time to Mars, it is necessary to devise a solution to mitigate the impact that space radiation has on spacecraft and astronauts. Although…