Let's look at the main risks NASA is studying and working on to make sure the Mars mission is safe and successful. One of the most significant threats to astronauts heading to Mars is space radiation.

Forget “one giant step for man”, the first person to step on Mars ... make those first tentative steps in his space suit – rather, it will be a woman. That woman could well be astronaut ...

What the agency learns about how the materials perform on Mars will inform the design of future spacesuits for the first astronauts on the red planet. "This is one of the forward-looking aspects ...