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How about a ONE-WAY trip to Mars?

Maybe it's just me, but I'm at a complete loss here. This article describes a Dutch company's upcoming one-way trips to Mars. Seriously. They're going to recruit "colonists" who want to go to Mars...and stay there.

The thing that confuses me is why the trip is one-way. They're planning on sending up new groups of colonists every two years, so I don't understand why when those people arrive others can't just leave. :thinking:

Oh, they're also planning on turning this whole thing into a reality TV show. So we'll get to watch as people lose their minds and wish they'd never taken the trip up there. :rolleyes:

Anyone thinking about signing up? :eek: I can guarantee you I won't be on the list.
 
Perhaps the trip is only a one way journey because after each group of colonists arrive, the vessel that carried them will self destruct? Hey, it could happen!;)That way, the fuel prices are kept down, and we all know how expensive fuel would be for that trip.
I'd like to submit my own list for that trip!:p
 
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I heard something about this last summer, and being a bit of a space nerd, I like the idea. Maybe not for a reality TV show, but a Mars colony isn't a bad idea. The Earth won't last forever and getting people to spread out across this little part of the galaxy is a nice idea.

Maybe we'll discover the remains of a Death Star just beyond our reach... :)
 
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I can think of a few people I'd like to put on that first flight! :eek: Anyway...

I cannot fathom why anyone would want to do this. First, you'd lose years of your life getting to Mars. Just picture what that one part of this would be like. I'd go nuts from the isolation, the distance from Earth, the reality that everyone I know is forever out of reach, etc. Then the desolation once on Mars, combined with the continuing realization that your old life is irrevocably gone.

Just doesn't sound too appealing to me.
 
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I'd go, but I'm probably too old, I'll be almost 60 by the time I'd get there, even if I was in one of the first groups.

But I concur, most of the people going well have significantly shortened lives once they arrive, if they can land in one piece.

If they were smart, they would build a moon colony first, then launch from there and setup a space station orbiting around mars, then find a way to do landings from the space station.
 
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I'd go, but I'm probably too old, I'll be almost 60 by the time I'd get there, even if I was in one of the first groups.

But I concur, most of the people going well have significantly shortened lives once they arrive, if they can land in one piece.

If they were smart, they would build a moon colony first, then launch from there and setup a space station orbiting around mars, then find a way to do landings from the space station.

I like this idea. :)
 
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10 years seems remarkably slow -Curiosity had a flight time of 8 months. And I don't think we can maintain a closed life support loop for that long, so if that's the flight time (and I've not read the link yet) I'd really not recommend signing up.

But I really doubt anything will come of this.
 
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10 years seems remarkably slow -Curiosity had a flight time of 8 months. And I don't think we can maintain a closed life support loop for that long, so if that's the flight time (and I've not read the link yet) I'd really not recommend signing up.

But I really doubt anything will come of this.

The trip will not take 10 years. I checked out the web site and it shows a timeline of the plans spanning into the 2020's. There are several phases with milestones every couple of years to set up the facilities to accept the colonists. Once the facilities are in place, the trip to send the first group of colonists will take less than a year to complete. There will be a group of 4. Then additional colonists will follow every couple of years.

Not sure where the 10 years came from. Possibly for the entire length of the project to get the first colonists. Also, the colonists will need to undergo some training to acclimate themselves to being isolated by putting them in some remote area for a long period of time.

This is definitely an interesting endevour. Personally, I would not volunteer.
 
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