Ask Bas Lansdorp About Going to Mars, One Way

NASA's been solicited ideas for exploring Mars, but Dutch entrepreneur Bas Lansdorp is already planning a different kind of trip than is likely to come from the U.S. government. Lansdorp's Mars One project has the goal of putting humans on Mars in 2022, with a twist that might dampen many people's hopes to be a Mars-exploring astronaut: the trip Lansdorp plans is one-way only. That means dramatically less fuel on board, because unlike typical Mars voyage plans, there would be no need (or ability) to carry the mechanism or the energy storage to return to Earth. If you (and three close companions) are willing to go be the first people to die on Mars, you'll also need to give up more than a pinch of privacy, because the Mars One plan to obtain the necessary funding is straightforward: create a media spectacle, and monetize it through advertising. (Note: If Elon Musk's optimistic sounding predictions are right, maybe one-way Marstronauts can get a return ticket, after all.) Many questions about the proposed journey are answered in the project's FAQ; check there before formulating questions. Ask Lansdorp about the practicalities and impracticalities of reaching Mars with as many questions as you'd like, but (lest ye be modded down) please only one question per post.

Comments

Understatement of the year

[Deep Esophagus]

"Living on Mars cannot be considered entirely risk-free, in particular during the first few years."

Ya think?

Put your lives where your mouths are

[Lanfranc]

I just have one very simple question: I understand that Mars One intend to send four people at a time to Mars. I also note that the Mars One team currently consists of four people. So are you and your three business partners willing to be the first group to go, and if not, why not?

Re:Power Draw?

[Jason Levine]

I'm thinking it might be more like this.

1. We're on Mars, Hooray!
2. Set up equipment.
3. Transmit episodes of "Life On Mars".
4, Get call from producer, "You had some great content, really, but the show's been canceled by the network execs for a new user-submitted video show called Cute Puppy Antics."
5. All communication between Mars and Earth cut (show's canceled = no more budget).
6. Weeks pass.
7. Crew goes insane, kills each other.
8. Last crew member alive, as he is dying from lack of food and water, notices that the cameras have been filming the whole time.
9. Producer call comes through "Thanks. That 'going insane and killing everyone' stuff will make a great series finale."
10. Video cuts out and last crew member dies.