To protect astronauts traveling to and exploring Mars from harmful gamma radiation, Lockheed Martin has teamed with Israeli firm StemRad to develop a specialized deep-space vest.
Called the AstroRad, the vest will protect vital human tissue by shielding all of the major organs from radiation. To ensure equal protection across different body types, the lightweight material will also be tailor-made for each astronaut.
"This product will enable human deep space exploration," CEO Oren Milstein, a graduate of The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said in an interview. "Our breakthrough has come in creating the architecture of the multi-layered shield to accurately cover the most important organs."