Lessons Learned from a Solar Cycle of Space Radiation Measurements on the Surface of Mars with RAD

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) on the Mars Rover Curiosity has been effectively serving as a space weather monitor on the surface of Mars since Curiosity landed on the red planet in 2012. RAD has measured the impact of more than a dozen solar storms, with the frequency of events increasing as the Sun approaches solar maximum. Two relatively large events (Sept. 10, 2017 and Oct. 28, 2021) were observed as Ground Level Events (GLEs) at both Earth and Mars, separated by 180 degrees in longitude. Most recently, RAD observed its largest event to date as part of the May 2024 solar storms that impacted both Earth and Mars. We will discuss these events and their implications for space weather predictions, as well as the need for heliosphere-wide space weather monitoring to support future human exploration to Mars and beyond.