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<p>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7706844.stm</p><p> Article</p><p class="first"><strong>Future astronauts could benefit from a magnetic "umbrella" that deflects harmful space radiation around their crew capsule, scientists say.</strong> </p><p>The super-fast charged particles that stream away from the Sun pose a significant threat to any long-duration mission, such as to the Moon or Mars. </p><p>But the research team says a spaceship equipped with a magnetic field generator could protect its occupants. </p><p>Lab tests are reported in the journal Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. </p><p>The approach mimics the protective field that envelops the Earth, known as the magnetosphere. </p><p><strong>Astronauts' risk</strong> </p><p>Our star is a constant source of charged particles, and storms that arise on the Sun's surface result in huge numbers of these particles spilling into space. </p><p>As well as this plasma, or "solar wind", high velocity particles known as cosmic rays also flood through our galaxy. </p><p>The Earth's magnetosphere deflects many of these particles that rain down on the planet, and our atmosphere absorbs most of the rest. <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="231" align="right"><tbody><tr><td width="5"><img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif" border="0" alt="" width="5" height="1" />