Space Radiation Harms the Body

Cell nuclei are irradiated with ion beams at an accelerator facility and research center, called GSI, in Germany. The bright dots are where single ion beams entered the cell. The GSI will study how much radiation astronauts are exposed to on a mission to Mars.

While in space, astronauts are continuously bombarded with radiation from cosmic rays and ion beams. The health effects of this exposure are not fully understood by scientists.

In general, however, radiation is known to cause cancer. The results of the GSI experiments could be used to develop shields for spacecrafts to reduce the risk of radiation exposure.

--LiveScience Staff

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