Scientists Propose One-Way Trips To Mars

vortex2.71 writes "Invoking the spirit of Star Trek in a scholarly article entitled 'To Boldly Go,' two scientists contend human travel to Mars could happen much more quickly and cheaply if the missions are made one-way. They argue that it would be little different from early settlers to North America, who left Europe with little expectation of return. 'The main point is to get Mars exploration moving,' said Dirk Schulze-Makuch of Washington State University, who wrote the article in the latest Journal of Cosmology with Paul Davies of Arizona State University. The colleagues state — in one of 55 articles in the issue devoted to exploring Mars — that humans must begin colonizing another planet as a hedge against a catastrophe on Earth."

Comments

Re:Little difference?

[cronco]

They had to spend months with only what drinkable water they could carry, which was at that time as daunting as it is now to carry the fuel(energy) needed to get to Mars

Re:Little difference?

[cayenne8]

Well, if sending LIVE people...is this voluntary, or can we vote who goes to Mars one way.

Frankly, I've got a LOT of politicians in mind that I'd happily vote off the planet!!

:)

But seriously, if nothing else, why not take volunteers from people on death row, that were sufficiently intelligent? Go through training, go to Mars, stay there and you get to live.

I figure some of them might take the choice, and we'd be solving a few problems at once that way...

Re:Little difference?

[sick_soul]

hey I am not in a death row, and I would volunteer. I am already well trained for that mission.
If they provide enough resources for a lifetime, I would not feel more alone on Mars than right now here among billions of people who do not give a shit about me.

Re:Little difference?

[Wonko the Sane]

Any settlers to Mars would need certain things provided to them, regularly, for the foreseeable future (at least a year or two):

* air
* food
* water

There's no technical reason not to launch all the equipment the settlers would need to be self sufficient in those areas all at once in a Project Orion vehicle.

I'll go.

[RMingin]

Send me, a half dozen inflatable greenhouses, enough plants to eat/breathe from, and some quonset-type buriable shelters. I'll be standing by for any other stuff you'd like done, can get a lot more science done than a rover, and will be happy to have my paycheck handed over to my wife and kids here. Of course, if you end up sending along my wife and kids, and some other folks, I'll plant a flag, declare independence, and do my best to sieze the planet as soon as I'm self-sufficient.