Impact of Solar Energetic Particles on Mars: Enhancing Space Weather Insights for Future Exploration

The Sun is a major source of energetic particles in the Solar System. Solar energetic particles (SEPs) are large outbursts of protons, electrons, and ions accelerated in solar flares and by shocks driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), with fluxes exceeding those of cosmic rays with energies reaching up as high as ~GeVs. SEPs pose major risks for space exploration, causing radiation damage to electronics and humans, and potentially leading to system failures and health issues on astronauts. SEPs can ionize atmospheres, creating various Space Weather effects. At Mars, SEPs can trigger global auroras and lead to significant radio signal delays or even full radio blackouts, causing communication disruptions for weeks. This could leave future crewed missions without any support during critical periods. Both protons and electrons play a role in these disruptions, but the primary cause of prolonged radio blackouts is still unknown. 

Currently, we live in the golden age of heliophysics with multiple spacecraft sampling high-energy particles in interplanetary space. This coincidences with a renewed interest for human exploration of the red planet. We will combine interplanetary and Mars missions to:

(1) investigate the acceleration and propagation of SEPs from the Sun to Mars

(2) examine their impact on the Red Planet, including radio blackouts and implications for human exploration.