[LEARNINGENGLISH.VOANEWS] New measurements show that radiation levels on the moon are two to three times higher than on the International Space Station.The measurements were taken by an instrument on China’s Chang’e-4 lunar lander. The spacecraft touched down on the far side of the moon in January of 2019.
German and Chinese scientists involved in the experiment say the Chinese lander provided the first "active" measurements of radiation levels on the surface of the moon. The findings were recently reported in a study in the publication Science Advances.
The study comes as the United States and several other countries develop plans to send astronauts to explore the moon. The American space agency NASA has a goal of landing the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024 as part of its Artemis program. It also wants to set up a long-term base on the moon by 2028.
But space radiation presents major health risks to future astronauts. Cancer is the main health concern, but radiation exposure can also lead to other diseases.
NASA has already warned that space travelers spending long periods in places like the moon or Mars will face high levels of harmful radiation.
Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic shield protect humans from the extreme radiation present in the universe. But astronauts aboard the International Space Station receive more than 10 times the radiation that we receive on Earth.