Humans are always fascinated with the prospect of settling on other planets, and NASA is helping the cause. It is studying long-term effects of radiation taking a cue from the Chernobyl disaster. This is being done to explore possibilities of creating a Radiation Shield for humans who would live in space at a future date. To carry out this study, NASA had sent samples from the Chernobyl zone to the International Space Station.
These samples had surfaced after the disaster, and two of them appear to thrive on radioactive surfaces. Further studies could help NASA to develop shields that would guarantee a certain degree of safety to astronauts and all those who would venture out into space to conduct experiments.
The bottom line is to conquer space and plan for the migration of humans to other planets.
Plans to live on Mars
Daily Mail UK reports that the leader of the study team has hinted that studies of this nature are a prelude to establishing facilities on Mars for human settlement. He explained that the radiation at Chernobyl was high but a specific type of organism was selected and sent to the ISS for further study, and it is now back to Earth. Researchers at NASA plan to study these samples to develop a sort of radiation shield for use in outer space to protect astronauts.
If successful, it would pave the way for humans to travel in space and settle down on other planets where there is no scope of life as we know it because of the lack of oxygen and water which are the building blocks of life.
Space exploration is a vast subject and efforts to come up with methods of survival in space is a top priority item for scientists all over the world. Huge sums of money are spent on these researches and progress is shared between the communities of scientists irrespective of the country.
Other areas of interest
NASA is treading into new territories and has begun studies on living organisms near Chernobyl which can help scientists to create crops that can survive radiation in space.
If successful, it could be extended to grow plants on other planets which will be a must when humans settle there.
This assumes importance when there are long term objectives involved like the migration in human beings to distant planets where the terrains are rocky, and there is very little knowledge on what to expect.
Human settlement on Mars and other planets has always been on the agenda of all those who are associated with space travel, and preparations are on to select would-be settlers on Mars.
Once that happens, they would be isolated from Earth and would have to grow their own food.
Hence, the studies to develop radiation shields, which have been undertaken by NASA, are quite relevant. Studies of the disaster in Chernobyl would add to the confidence level of humans and help them to settle on other planets.