Who wants to go to space one day?

I do. I’m already packed!

I’ve got my camera. I’ve got my space stuffy to float around with me. And, of course, I’ve got my sunscreen.

Although this kind might not actually keep me from getting sunburnt while I spend all day staring out of the windows of my spacecraft or through my fancy space helmet. Because in space, I’d have to deal with extra sources of radiation that this stuff cannot handle. And that’s why scientists are working to develop a sunscreen for astronauts. [♪ INTRO] As the name suggests, sunburns are burns caused by the Sun.

But more specifically, they’re caused by some of the radiation that the Sun emits. This radiation actually comes in two forms: the radiation that’s made up of super speedy massive particles, like protons and electrons, and the electromagnetic radiation, better known as light. The Sun gives off all kinds of electromagnetic radiation, but not all of it is dangerous.

The rays you’ve got to worry about are the ones that are more energetic than visible light. These rays, including ultraviolet, x-ray, and gamma rays, are a form of ionizing radiation. If you’re exposed to too much ionizing radiation, your cells’ DNA can wind up getting damaged.

And that can happen whether or not you get a sunburn, too. On Earth, we’re protected from most of the Sun’s ionizing radiation, because our atmosphere blocks out all but a little bit of ultraviolet light. That’s why my sunscreen bottle says it protects against UV-A and UV-B rays.

But up in space, or on worlds like the Moon or Mars, astronauts are exposed to much higher levels of radiation, and also more kinds. Not just UV. While they may not necessarily get more sunburns, those higher radiation levels could increase their risk of developing cancer.

And in high enough doses, it could cause radiation poisoning or even death. Space suits and ship hulls do protect astronauts to an extent, just like hats and long-sleeved, billowy Fabio shirts do on Earth. But there could be a Sunscreen For Astronauts on the horizon, based on something evolution baked into the human body, as well as other life forms, to protect us from the lower levels of radiation we’re exposed to here on the ground.

It’s called melanin. Melanins are pigments in our cells that give color to our eyes, skin, and hair. But they also absorb and scatter ionizing radiation, protecting the rest of the cell and any cells beneath it from damage.

Back in 2022, one study found that yeast cells with higher concentrations of melanin were more likely to survive a round-trip to the International Space Station than their low-melanin counterparts. And even though yeast’s natural melanin mainly protects it from ultraviolet rays, the experiment showed that the melanin could protect it from other ionizing rays, too. Meanwhile, a different team of scientists developed a synthetic form of melanin that was enriched with selenium, an element that’s particularly good at blocking X-rays.

Now, I’ve got to emphasize that rocking more melanin does give you greater protection, But no one has enough melanin in their skin that they’re completely safe from the Sun’s radiation, whether they’re up on the space station, or down on Earth. Everyone should wear sunscreen. And one day, space travelers might have a skincare routine that involves slathering on a serum that’s a souped-up version of what they’re already rocking inside their skin.

But for now, I’ll have to rely on the sunscreen that I’ve got. And also get back to packing, because I’m going to need some entertainment while I’m up there. Thanks so much for watching this episode of SciShow.

If you’re like me and you love space so much you regularly daydream about going up there, and then think, “Actually, I probably wouldn’t want to do that.” But then you’re like, “Yeah, actually I totally do!” We’ve got the merch for you! We’ve got stickers of space balloons and a monthly pin celebrating a different space rocket. Head on over to DFTBA.com/SciShow to check it all out. [♪ OUTRO]