NASA is on track to send humans to Mars.  As of 2020, NASA has successfully landed several robotic rovers on Mars.  One of the main obstacles to sending humans to Mars is the exposure to cosmic radiation, which increases the risk of cancer.  An important task for NASA is to design ways to limit the astronaut’s exposure to cosmic radiation.

A Mission to Mars: An Encounter with Radiation is a science education unit for use in high school biology classes to learn about the effects of cosmic radiation on human biology. The unit integrates biology with chemistry and physics. A focus of the unit is on the ability of radiation to damage DNA, causing mutations that can lead to the development of cancer.

To learn more about NASA’s plans to send humans to Mars, visit NASA’s website at:  https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/humans-to-mars

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