Magnetic fields

[Ian selby]

Hi guys. Could a artificial magnetic field be set up around the space craft to protect the crew from space radiation, and could one be set up on Mars around the living ,work areas?

 

[newtons_laws]

Ian Selby, yes in principle a magnetic field could be set up around a spacecraft to divert charged particles e.g high energy protons, electrons, heavy ions etc which make up part of space radiation. It wouldn't of course protect against electromagnetic radiation such as gamma rays which form the other part of space radiation, for that the only protection is suitably adequate shielding to absorb the gamma rays. The scientists at CERN (who know a thing or two about designing and building electromagnets) are working on such a spacecraft electromagnetic shield: https://home.cern/news/news/engineering/superconducting-shield-astronauts See also https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4896949/

 

[newtons_laws]

As regards the second part of your question relating to setting one up on Mars around the living and work areas it would probably be easier and cheaper to just cover the habitation modules in a suitable thickness of shielding material made from the Martian regolith (perhaps with the addition of a suitable binding agent).

 

[Ian selby]

As regards the second part of your question relating to setting one up on Mars around the living and work areas it would probably be easier and cheaper to just cover the habitation modules in a suitable thickness of shielding material made from the Martian regolith (perhaps with the addition of a suitable binding agent).

At some point many years from now they could set up a fleet of satellite s that would produce a magnetic field above the planet using solar energy?

 

[newtons_laws]

At some point many years from now they could set up a fleet of satellite s that would produce a magnetic field above the planet using solar energy?

The magnetic field needs to be pretty strong to divert the charged particles and producing one around a spaceship may just about be feasible, as the previous links I gave show. However the magnetic field strength will rapidly fade away as you move just a very short distance (a few metres/yards) from the exterior of the spaceship, so I'm afraid your suggestion would just result in a fleet of satellites with localized magnetic fields possibly shielding each satellite but not extending far beyond each satellite, and certainly not encompassing the planet.

 

[Spencerpam]

The magnetic field needs to be pretty strong to divert the charged particles and producing one around a spaceship may just about be feasible, as the previous links I gave show. However the magnetic field strength will rapidly fade away as you move just a very short distance (a few metres/yards) from the exterior of the spaceship, so I'm afraid your suggestion would just result in a fleet of satellites with localized magnetic fields possibly shielding each satellite but not extending far beyond each satellite, and certainly not encompassing the planet.

Aren't the magnetic fields that surround our planet a remarkable feat

 

[Myron Kuzemko]

Aren't the magnetic fields that surround our planet a remarkable feat

It is the sickness of magnetic field that matters while stopping solar and cosmic radiation. Despite it is comparatively weak when comparing with even a household magnet, it stops radiation like sandbags stop bullets where steel plates fail.

Archive of NASA IMAGE Space Science Questions and Answers

To provide this sufficiently thick layer of magnetic field around the spaceship (leave the planetary scale alone) you would need rather big coils. And you definitely have mass limitations when travelling in space!