Russia plans to build nuclear power station on Mars
Russian scientists have announced plans to build a nuclear power station on Mars before 2030. Technical drawings have apparently been completed, and the scientists will soon be ready to start work on constructing the power station, which is to be located in Mars' mountainous areas, possibly inside a canyon. The plans foresee the power station serving a permanent research camp on Mars, which they believe could be set up within the next 30 years. The only problem, as far as the Russians are concerned, is how to transport the building blocks necessary for the power station to the Red Planet. There is also, however, the issue of how to protect those building and running any power station or research base from radiation. US scientist Cary Zeitlin from the country's national space biomedical research institute spoke in March of how Mars is continuously bombarded by radiation from the galaxy at large as well as the Sun. Any astronauts orbiting Mars would be exposed to a radiation dose 2.5 times higher than that received in low Earth orbit aboard the international space station. While little is known about radiation on the surface of Mars, it is possible that the planet's atmosphere would provide some form of shield. During the sporadic bursts of solar radiation, which are believed to last for more than a week at a time, astronauts would also have to remain inside a shelter.
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