Study: Collateral damage from cosmic rays increases cancer risks for Mars astronauts

(University of Nevada, Las Vegas) The cancer risk for a human mission to Mars has effectively doubled following a UNLV study predicting a dramatic increase in the disease for astronauts traveling to the red planet or on long-term missions outside the protection of Earth's magnetic field. New predictive model, published in May issue of Scientific Reports shows radiation from cosmic rays extends from damaged to otherwise healthy 'bystander' cells.