The major problem is high-energy space radiation. Scientists know that cosmic rays can damage DNA. They had just overlooked how bad it could get. A team re-examined how damaged DNA can cause cancer.

DNA integrity is always under attack from environmental agents like skin cancer-causing UV rays. How do DNA repair mechanisms detect and repair damaged DNA, and what happens when they fail?

Astronauts experience cosmic radiation in the form of flashes of light when they close their eyes and protecting their DNA from damaging effects is a serious concern for NASA. It’s impossible to ...

Especially the latter poses a great challenge for long-term space travel, and so people are working on various concepts to protect astronauts’ DNA from being smashed by cosmic rays. This has ...

I think most people associate sunburn with DNA damage; it is established knowledge. But now we need to rewrite the textbooks, and it will affect future research on the effects of UV radiation on ...

"In bacteria, radiation can cause DNA damage, protein oxidation and membrane ... chronic high-level ionizing radiation, primarily from cosmic rays and solar protons," Daly said.