3D -gedruckte „Hydrogele“ könnten zukünftige Raumstrahlungsschilde für Astronautenausflüge zum Mars sein – jene winzigen farbenfrohen Dinosaurierspielzeuge, die unter Wasser größer werden, könnten den Schlüssel zum Schutz der Astronauten aufweisen, wenn sie durch den Raum reisen.

From the article

>New research suggests a novel solution: a material called „hydrogel“ — the same technology used for the ‚grow monster‘ toys — could shield space travelers from harmful radiation.

>A research team from the Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials Group at Ghent University in Belgium have been testing this type of superabsorbent polymer as an alternative radiation shield.

>“The superabsorbent polymer that we are using can be processed using multiple different techniques, which is a rare and advantageous quality amongst polymers,“ Manon Minsart, a postdoctoral assistant at Ghent Universaid, said in a statement. „Our method of choice is [3D printing](https://www.space.com/best-3d-printers), which allows us to create a hydrogel in almost any shape we want.“