A rare and groundbreaking occurrence took place recently, as a solar storm hit Earth, the moon, and Mars simultaneously. This is the first time that an eruption of this nature has been measured on three planetary surfaces at once. An international fleet of spacecraft detected the outburst, revealing that the storm’s particles were powerful enough to penetrate Earth’s magnetic field, which typically protects us from such events. However, the moon and Mars, lacking magnetic fields, were directly impacted by the storm, highlighting the potential dangers for future human exploration. As scientists consider returning to the moon and eventually venturing to Mars, they must grapple with the significant risk of space radiation and its potential long-term effects on human health. The solar storm, detected on October 28, 2021, has raised concerns among researchers about the impact of sporadic solar energetic particles on lunar and Martian surface radiation levels, potentially reaching hazardous values. The event was captured by various spacecraft, including the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover, the China National Space Administration’s Moon lander, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the German Aerospace Center’s Eu:CROPIS Earth orbiter. This occurrence, classified as a rare “ground-level enhancement,” signifies that the particles released during the explosion possess enough energy to bypass Earth’s protective magnetic bubble, which shields us from less intense solar outbursts. Notably, this was only the 73rd recorded ground-level enhancement since the 1940s, and no such events have been documented since. Due to the absence of a protective bubble like Earth’s, the moon and Mars are more susceptible to solar particles interacting with their surfaces to generate secondary effects. It’s important to note that Mars’s thin atmosphere does offer some protection, limiting the impact of lower-energy solar particles and slowing down highly energetic ones. However, the European Space Agency warns that a radiation dose exceeding 700 milligray could induce radiation sickness, which leads to symptoms such as infection and internal bleeding by damaging the bone marrow. Survival beyond two weeks becomes extremely unlikely if an astronaut receives more than 10 gray. Fortunately, the 2021 solar storm did not release enough radiation to harm astronauts in lunar orbit, with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter measuring only 31 milligray. Jingnan Guo, a scientist involved in researching the solar event, emphasizes the importance of understanding these occurrences for future crewed missions to the moon. The study also reveals that ExoMars measured 9 milligray, 30 times higher than the 0.3 milligray detected on the surface by the Curiosity rover. It’s worth noting that other missions by the European Space Agency, such as Solar Orbiter, SOHO, and BepiColombo, were also affected by the solar storm, providing additional perspectives for studying this event. Marco Pinto, an ESA research fellow focusing on radiation detectors, expresses excitement over the current state of Solar System physics. He highlights the valuable data obtained from planetary missions like BepiColombo and Juice, which contribute to our understanding of the acceleration and propagation of solar energetic particles. All in all, this simultaneous solar storm hitting Earth, the moon, and Mars offers unique insights into the challenges and risks associated with future exploration and colonization efforts in space.
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