How are transit vehicles and surface habitats planned to be shielded from the harsh radiation environment?
Answer
By incorporating advanced composite materials or by physically burying them under Martian regolith.
Protection against the severe radiation environment encountered in deep space during transit and on the Martian surface is a paramount construction challenge. Engineers are focusing on shielding solutions that leverage either advanced material science or local resources. Specific methods include designing habitats that are physically shielded, potentially by burying them beneath layers of Martian regolith, or by integrating newly developed, advanced composite materials directly into the structure's design.

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