‘Life is too brief to leave this planet’: Live Science readers share whether they’d go to Mars, despite health risks

For centuries, Mars has been seen as a potential place for future human settlements. But long-duration space travel comes with serious risks to astronauts’ health, including those resulting from cosmic radiation and the effects of microgravity.

A new study found that rats that were exposed to radiation similar to what astronauts might encounter during a Mars mission developed more scar tissue around their hearts’ small blood vessels compared with a control group. Although the findings haven’t been validated in humans, the results contribute to growing concerns about the potential effects of long-haul space missions on astronauts’ health.