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

Mars the new Australia?

[Nidi62]

Just give criminals sentenced to death or life without parole the option to get shot to Mars to help with exploration and initial infrastructure construction. I mean hell, can't be much more expensive than keeping them in prison for 40-50 years, and we actually see a benefit out of it.