Would You Take a One-Way Trip to Mars?

[Borg]

The only way I'd take a one-way trip to Mars is if it were colonized (e.g. Total Recall). I wouldn't go there now though, there's nothing to do and I'd run out of life support!

The one-way schemes involve maintaining supplies over the lifetime of the astronauts. The thinking is that it would be much more difficult to return the astronauts than to just supply them for life.

 

[NeoDevin]

The one-way schemes involve maintaining supplies over the lifetime of the astronauts. The thinking is that it would be much more difficult to return the astronauts than to just supply them for life.

No, the thinking is that it would be easier for the astronauts to produce whatever they need, rather than come home to get it.

 

[Borg]

No, the thinking is that it would be easier for the astronauts to produce whatever they need, rather than come home to get it.

You're probably right. It does make more sense that they would have to be 100% self-sufficient. Trying to maintain regular supply to Mars would make the Berlin airlift look like a bucket brigade. Even 'emergency' supplies would still take months to years to arrive depending on the planetary alignments.

I thought that I remembered reading an article about astronauts being supplied but I couldn't find anything that stated it either way. I spent an hour trying to find any description of supply but, found nothing - even the link on my original post isn't working. I'm probably remembering something about habitat module deliveries as the colony grows.

In any case, it still wouldn't be designed to be the suicide mission that gb7nash fears.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I'm bringing this back because 78k people did sign up for the one way trip!

Two weeks into a nineteen week application period, more than 78,000 people have applied to become a settler of Mars in 2023.

Mars One, the nonprofit with the goal of establishing a human settlement on the planet, announced the milestone.

"This is turning out to be the most desired job in history," said Bas Lansdorp, co-founder and CEO of Mars One, in the announcement. "These numbers put us right on track for our goal of half a million applicants.”

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/47917-more-than-78000-people-sign-up-for-one-way-trip-to-mars/

 

[reenmachine]

Yes I would.It would be my shot at not only becoming a legend but also realizing one of my childhood dreams to go into space.Of course the death part is unfortunate , but death is not avoidable anyway.Might as well go out with a bang.

Though there's no way of knowing how I would react facing the decision in a more serious context.Maybe I would lose my balls and re-consider my desire to become a legend or going into space versus living for a couple of decades longer.

 

[AnTiFreeze3]

There's no way I wouldn't go.

 

[Spourk]

Going to respond first, before I read the entire thread. In my lifetime? Hell no... Details to follow...

Edit: Alright, after reading everything I don't want to sound pessimistic. I really do want humanity to explore and colonize other planets, but we need to be a little more ready for it. We need to put a few modules on the moon first, see how that goes. Too and from trips to Mars are harsh, considering the first batch of people that arrive on Mars are going to go through atrophy/acclimating themselves in harsh conditions, radiation, a bunch of problems we haven't solved yet that will cost a pretty penny.

I'm all for seeing it happen though, I'll be on the first luxury cruise there when it happens, providing I find a way to extend my lifetime a century or so. ^_^ (who knows?)

Edit 2: I just realized this was a resurrected thread :/

 

[D H]

I'm bringing this back because 78k people did sign up for the one way trip!

You necromanced the wrong thread. This thread is (was) about a science daily article, which in turn was based on an supposedly scientific article in a supposedly scientific journal. The Science Daily article is no longer available (dead link in the original post) and that supposedly scientific journal isn't listed in Thomson Reuters (posting a link would be against our rules). There was no time line, no plan, no budget, but there also isn't a reality TV show.

You should have resurrected [thread=612739]this other thread about Mars One[/thread] instead. The referenced thread is about the specific mission, Mars One, for which these 78K people have signed up. Here there's a time line (but it's fiction), a pseudo plan (also fiction), and a budget (also fiction). In addition, they even have an outline for a reality TV show that's the real reason for this endeavor.

 

[Blandified]

I am very skeptical on the ability of Mars One to actually accomplish this with our current technology, but shouldn't we aim for this goal anyways? Is that not HOW we will be able to get such technology, by pushing ourselves in that direction?

This reminds me of a quote (and I paraphrase) that said our current generation was born too late to explore the world and born too early to explore the galaxy. This quote pains me greatly. I would love to explore space; I just sincerely wish the technology will be there when I get older (but not TOO old).

 

[D H]

I am very skeptical on the ability of Mars One to actually accomplish this with our current technology, but shouldn't we aim for this goal anyways?

Which goal is that? Maybe getting people on Mars but with nary a chance of coming home, getting people to Mars with the chance of coming back home, or getting more people in space in general, with an eye to eventually making the vast expenditures useful/productive? These are three very different goals and hence have very different development trajectories.

I have my own thoughts on the matter, and Mars is rather low on my bucket list of what I would like to see humans doing in space before I retire from the human space exploration business.

 

[Thomas1989]

I imagine a lot of people here regularly daydream about going into space, I definitely do! This isn't quite what I had in mind though. I can't even begin to fathom how lonely, desolate and just plain creepy it would be out there. I'd even crack up before touchdown, I almost lost it in a 24 hour train journey across Russia in 2011.

 

[Spourk]

This all kind of echoes what I was thinking when I saw this thread, resurrected and all.

I definitely think the goal of humanity should be expand into the cosmos. But until we stop peeing on each other over territorial disputes, world hunger, imminant nuclear threats, (global ADD) posturing for obsolete resources, and ignoring humanities potential, we have no business sending people to Mars in premature technology.

I'd like to see the ISS expand a bit more first, with some kind of base on the moon. Space programs that don't go kaput because of cost and lack of attention. If we can't expand on these basic things how are we ever going to get ourselves out of the solar system, let alone Mars?

Space X is looking pretty interesting though!

 

[DHF]

like D.H mentioned, there are other goals we could aim for besides Mars. Personally I feel Europa would be the most scientifically rewarding target in the solar system but that is likely a target that will take many decades, perhaps generations before we touch down there.

That being said, I think Mars is likely the most reasonable target to explore, given its proximity, I just don't think that Mars One is the answer. What they propose is preposterous. Just getting humans to Mars and back safely will be a serious undertaking. Touching down on Mars and coming home will be exponentially more challenging. but to set up a colony? Without any prior steps? its like trying to run before you learn how to even stand up.

Sadly I think this is just Money grab. Even sadder that they are getting the hopes of up of tens of thousands of people in the process.