In 2017, NASA proposed that a “magnetic shield” placed between the Sun and Mars at the Sun-Mars L1 Lagrange point could help protect Mars’ atmosphere from being stripped away by the solar wind. It can use a large magnetic dipole to create an artificial magnetosphere in front of Mars, reducing how much solar wind directly hits the upper atmosphere. With less erosion, the concept suggests Mars could slowly build toward a thicker, warmer atmosphere over time.
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