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Sending Astronauts On a One-Way Trip To Mars
The Narrative Fallacy writes "Cosmologist Lawrence M. Krauss, director of the Origins Initiative at Arizona State University, writes in the NY Times that with the investment needed to return to the moon likely to run in excess of $150 billion and the cost of a round trip to Mars easily two to four times that, there is a way to reduce the cost and technical requirements of a manned mission to Mars: send the astronauts on a one way trip. 'While the idea of sending astronauts aloft never to return is jarring upon first hearing, the rationale for one-way trips into space has both historical and practical roots,' writes Krauss. 'Colonists and pilgrims seldom set off for the New World with the expectation of a return trip.' There are more immediate and pragmatic reasons to consider one-way human space exploration missions including money. 'If the fuel for the return is carried on the ship, this greatly increases the mass of the ship, which in turn requires even more fuel.' But would anyone volunteer to go on such a trip? Krauss says that informal surveys show that many scientists would be willing to go on a one-way mission into space and that we might want to restrict the voyage to older astronauts, whose longevity is limited in any case. "
Just make sure my wife's on board.
The added bonus is that they don't have broadband at home, so they'll accept an 8 minute ping from Mars.
Just make sure my wife isn't on board.
The first set of explorers are to seed the planet with their corpses so that the next wave will have something to eat.
The real problem is radiation exposure. 6 months there, 500 days on the surface, 6 months back.
So just transfer some auxiliary power to the deflector shields. Geez, do I have to figure everything out for you?
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
Tell them that there are 72 unspoiled virgins waiting for them.
But I wonder what would happen when they get very old.
This is just a guess mind you, but I'm pretty sure they would die.
'Colonists and pilgrims seldom set off for the New World with the expectation of a return trip.' Indeed, they often did back in the old days, however, I am fairly confident that at the very least, they expected a breatheable atmosphere at their destination.
That depends - were they planning to settle in New Jersey?
Sign me in. I have a colon cancer with 2 year left to live (max).
No! They'll turn it into a first-class tropical resort and take away from Earth tourism revenue!
All they need is a fabrication shop which is built entirely from parts which the shop itself is capable of manufacturing.
What if the part that breaks made the part that broke?
Indeed, they often did back in the old days, however, I am fairly confident that at the very least, they expected a breatheable atmosphere at their destination.
Not true! It's a little known fact that one of the reasons the Pilgrims were dependent on the natives for food that first Thanksgiving was because they'd wasted so much space in their ship's hold on canisters of compressed O2. You don't hear about this much, because the Pilgrims were so embarrassed when they first met the American Indians and wanted to know how they could survive without oxygen masks!
The enemies of Democracy are
I would.
I am 30 and moderately well off. If I was offered the chance to live on Mars with some hope of continued sustenance from resupplies, I would take it. It would be the ultimate challenge to try to make the biodome self sufficient with local chemicals.
I would perhaps regret my decision when I run out of oxygen because of missed launch window on earth, but still: I'd take it.
Also, the battle royal of who is going to be eaten with other scientist on board using ad-hoc weapons of zombie-destruction should be rather thrilling.
Bot Assisted Blogging
Hey, it's their money. I'd probably go on a drug and sex filled romp around the world until I dropped dead, but with the value of the dollar, that would probably be a bus ride to Tijuana and a guest appearance in a donkey show.
Anyone know where I can rent a donkey costume?
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is usually crucified.
Unless of course Mars is actually the cure for aging.
You can't take the sky from me.
Sure, just send some composers.
People goto Wyoming all the time, I fail to see how this is any different.
But we are planning to send _smart_ people!
http://www.dieblinkenlights.com
And don't forget to reverse the polarity of the auxilliary power.
Infact, do it twice to be sure.
FGD 135
Don't forget the inevitable cholera outbreaks...
I'm sensing him, I'm sensing him *OOOO* I have a vision! He is surrounded by unknown entities, in a white building. It has green surrounding it. One of the entities has a mustache. He is very well protected. A fog is closing in... argh! it is gone.
Semi-automatic amateur armchair Australian philosopher; conjecture ready at any moment...
Then put them in bubble wrap.
I read TFA and all I got was this lousy cookie
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ummm... speak for yourself. I think we should sell tickets to the live video stream to pay for the resupply missions. Make sure 80% of the crew is smoking hot babes and that everyone shares a single sleeping chamber under full view of the cameras (including a few the crew don't know about).
I think this is one instance where we can all agree that piracy would ultimately boost the ratings. I mean if nobody pays for the stream... no resupply...
spending any more tax payer money to send humans into space, to the moon or mars, is a ridiculous waste
I COMPLETELY agree, so here is how you get to Mars at no expense to the taxpayer:
Announce that whoever gets to Mars first, owns it.
Mine is Good
Just make sure choice politicians are on board.
;).
Or hold a reality show called "Voted Off The Planet!".
I'm too lazy at the moment so I'll let you all imagine/figure out the details - e.g. 1-way or return.
Lastly if the "right" people get voted off the planet that might actually save a lot more than 150 paltry billions in the long run
You forget about the gateway to hell that will open up eventually. So need to send at least one space marine to clean the shit up once it hits the fan.
The people who went to their deaths in iraq knew that dying was a possibility. They also knew that there would be financial benifits if they survived.
RIP TRICERATOPS, YOU NEVER EXISTED
Wow. So there are only two kinds of people, vegans and potential cannibals?
What if the Martians think we're sending gifts and decide to keep the stuff for themselves? Awkward...
Deltron 3030 - Virus (music video)
Food, drinking water, and oxygen will be the major limiting factors. That's assuming you can take along a habitat to mitigate the temperatures and dust storms. If the team lasts say 10 years, you'll run into other problems, like clothing and maintaining the shelter.
Presumably, there would be a mechanism for extracting a tolerable atmosphere for breathing and for growing food, and equipment for turning Martian dirt into agrochemicals. Essentially, Martian raw materials will be processed into food for plants, which will convert it into food for humans, who will convert it into shit. Only some of the shit can be recycled back into the soil (human shit is not as good for plants as horse shit is). After 10 years of dumping the surplus shit outside, you'll have made a good start on terraforming the local surroundings...
After sufficient time, Mars would be knee-deep in shit, and look just like Earth.
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
Also, about the muscles degenerating in a (far) lower gravity situation, as long as it's not zero G, couldn't they wear weights (i.e., like weighted vests, pants, whatever) to offset the lower gravity? We do that now, on Earth, for resistance training. It would seem like they would just need to add more weight - again, so long as it's not zero gravity.
Sign me up! Just don't expect me to do anything useful or significant, I'll be too busy posting on bodybuilding.com about my 300kg bench press!