National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists have proposed an artificial magnetic shield around Mars to protect its atmosphere, reported The Independent. The idea was mooted at the three-day Planetary Science Vision 2050 Workshop, which started on February 27, at the Nasa headquarters in Washington DC. The proposal was made by Nasa’s Planetary Science Division Director James Green.

The shield will have a large dipole, which is a closed electric circuit that can generate an artificial magnetic field, reported Popular Mechanics. Green said such a shield would protect the planet from high energy solar particles from the sun. “If this can be achieved in a lifetime, the colonisation of Mars will not be far away,” he said.

Scientists believe Mars lost around 90% of its water after its own magnetic shield collapsed a billion years ago. The scientist said a new shield could help the planet restore its atmosphere. “This situation then eliminates many of the solar wind erosion processes that occur with the planet’s ionosphere and upper atmosphere, allowing the Martian atmosphere to grow in pressure and temperature over time,” the scientists wrote in an accompanying paper.