Create a magnetic shield similar to Earth's for spacecraft.

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has proposed the idea of ​​equipping spacecraft and astronauts with a superconducting magnetic shield to protect them from deadly radiation in space.

ISS astronauts working in space. Photo: NASA

Cosmic radiation consists of streams of charged particles with high speed and gravity, coming from all directions in space. Recent studies on mice have shown that exposure to this radiation damages the brain and impairs cognitive function.

Life on Earth survives thanks to magnetic fields that shield it from these radiations. Astronauts working in space and on planets without magnetic fields, such as Mars, would not have this protection. They would be at risk of brain damage and various types of cancer. Human space exploration would therefore be limited.

A team of scientists from CERN recently announced they are testing a superconducting compound called magnesium diboride to create an artificial magnetic field to shield spacecraft. This is part of the "Superconducting Space Radiation Shield" (SR2S) project, funded by the European Union.

"If the prototype is successful, we will have important grounds to believe in the feasibility of a superconducting magnetic shield for spacecraft," said Amalia Ballarino, a scientist working on the project.

Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity without resistance at low temperatures; electric current can flow perpetually in a superconductor without energy loss. Furthermore, because all charged particles generate magnetic fields in motion, this property can be exploited to create an artificial magnetosphere, shielding spacecraft from harmful radiation.

According to VnExpress