Want to go to Mars?

[_Zoot_]

Well, you might have a chance to sooner than you would think!

There is only one problem... You can't come back (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/nasa-mars-mission-a-one-way-trip/story-e6frf7lf-1225945124330).

I was wondering what other peoples opinion was on this, would you be willing to volunteer for a one way ticket to Mars, to be one of the first humans to ever set foot on another planet? How do you think that people will cope, leaving our home planet, never to return?

I think that it is a fantastic idea (the whole not coming back side isn't optimal but still), how else are we ever going to explore the solar system and the rest of Space? Who knows, it may even help to settle things down on Earth if we start seeing our selves as The Human Race in stead of [Nationality] or [Religion]! Anyway, I'm way to much of a scifi fan to dislike the idea of colonising other planets!

I'm sorry if some one has beaten me to spreading the news but I didn't see anything so I thought that I might be the first!

[Lady Moreta]

That would be absolutely awesome. But I would never go unless I could come back again.

I could see the appeal though, I'm sure there are people out there who would be interested.

The sci-fi nerd in me is jumping up and down screaming "pick me! pick me!" - the rest of me is telling it to sit down and shut up :smallamused:

[_Zoot_]

That would be absolutely awesome. But I would never go unless I could come back again.

I could see the appeal though, I'm sure there are people out there who would be interested.

The sci-fi nerd in me is jumping up and down screaming "pick me! pick me!" - the rest of me is telling it to sit down and shut up :smallamused:

I know what you mean, my first thought was "Go down in history as the first human colonists of a new planet? Hell yes!"

Then the whole "never see anything that you have know your loved again" kicked in...

[Eruantion]

That would be pretty interesting, but so much can go wrong out there... However, it would be an important first step in expanding our reach to the heavens. Also, like you said, we would begin to see ourselves as a 'race' of one species, not of skin colour or religion. I certainly know there are some brave people out there who would risk their lives for the betterment of humanity... I'm not one of them though :smalltongue:

[golentan]

If that became an option tomorrow, I'd do what it took to be on that ship. That might change in a decade or two, if my SO wasn't interested. But otherwise I would be there. I'd take any course, pass any test, make any physical change that it required.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

The not ever coming back wouldn't bother me, it's the fact I'd be stuck in what is basically a climate controlled city. Nuh uh. I couldn't spend rest of my life knowing I'd never climb another waterfall.

Since many urbanites however can and do spend their entire life within a couple square miles I don't think there'd be that much of a problem adapting. Just make sure you have couples heading out so they won't mind spending so much time with each other.

[Mr. Moon]

Dooo be careful to keep this thread from turning political. <<

I'm too happy and comfortable where I am to go to Mars. But then, new places are never settled by people who expect to come home. It'd be hard, but damn, if it works out, it'd be worth it.

[Lady Moreta]

Since many urbanites however can and do spend their entire life within a couple square miles I don't think there'd be that much of a problem adapting. Just make sure you have couples heading out so they won't mind spending so much time with each other.

Actually that's a good point. If my husband came with me, it wouldn't be so bad... of course, what if I couldn't stand the others who went, and I was stuck with my husband being the only person I could stand being around? I'd go nuts...

[mucat]

Hell yes I would go.

Having no return flight lined up would be sad, but not overwhelmingly so. You would actually be far less isolated from your old life than immigrants who traveled from Europe or Asia to the Americas before there were telegraph lines. Back then, your only line of communication with friends and loved ones back home were letters sent by ship, which would take months if they arrived at all. From Mars, you could exchange messages with Earth almost in real time (a lag of anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour, depending on where the two planets are in their orbits.)

And there actually would be hope of returning to Earth someday. If you're young when you migrate, and if the project goes well, then you would probably live to see the day when two-way travel between Earth and Mars becomes feasible. You may not want to live on Earth again, after years of growing accustomed to low gravity, but you could probably visit if you wanted. (As one of the early colonists, you would be a celebrity; I bet someone would pay to bring you to Earth for a visit and speaking tour once it became possible.)

[_Zoot_]

Just make sure you have couples heading out so they won't mind spending so much time with each other.

I see that as a problem, I mean you would have to be careful that you didn't get the systems worst case of Cabin Fever, one messy break up could destroy the whole expedition.


Hell yes I would go.

Having no return flight lined up would be sad, but not overwhelmingly so. You would actually be far less isolated from your old life than immigrants who traveled from Europe or Asia to the Americas before there were telegraph lines. Back then, your only line of communication with friends and loved ones back home were letters sent by ship, which would take months if they arrived at all. From Mars, you could exchange messages with Earth almost in real time (a lag of anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour, depending on where the two planets are in their orbits.)

And there actually would be hope of returning to Earth someday. If you're young when you migrate, and if the project goes well, then you would probably live to see the day when two-way travel between Earth and Mars becomes feasible. You may not want to live on Earth again, after years of growing accustomed to low gravity, but you could probably visit if you wanted. (As one of the early colonists, you would be a celebrity; I bet someone would pay to bring you to Earth for a visit and speaking tour once it became possible.)

That is a possibility, and you put it into really good perspective. On the other hand, the immigrates at least had the same sort of macro environment, plants animals, seasons, weather was all still there, even if it was different. On Mars there would be none of that, so while the Human interaction might be easier than back then, the environment would be totally alien.

[Gullara]

Very cool, but I wouldn't do it, not for anything.

How do the live their long term though:smallconfused:

[golentan]

The not ever coming back wouldn't bother me, it's the fact I'd be stuck in what is basically a climate controlled city. Nuh uh. I couldn't spend rest of my life knowing I'd never climb another waterfall.

Since many urbanites however can and do spend their entire life within a couple square miles I don't think there'd be that much of a problem adapting. Just make sure you have couples heading out so they won't mind spending so much time with each other.

That is what environment suits are for.

Ever take on a climb in Low G? It's indescribably awesome.

[Mr. Moon]

Very cool, but I wouldn't do it, not for anything.

How do the live their long term though:smallconfused:

My guess? Classic bio-domes. Cities surrounded by glass until (possibly?) the planet can be teraformed into livable conditions. Inside the biodome there'd be cities, gardens, and what have you.
Only problem with that is that settlements couldn't expand.

[_Zoot_]

Apparently they intend to construct a ship that will allow for human habitation for 100 years, so I presume that they would land that and use it as a base...

[Kjata]

Do I want to go to Mars? Check my location (okay, that's not what I meant when I typed that, but whatever).

Problem is, making history isn't my thing. I'd move there when it was possible to get back.

[happyturtle]

It made me think of Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy. The best Mars colonization books written. By the third book, the planet had been terraformed, and there was a scene where during a sunset the sky was briefly the blue of Earth's sky.

Could anyone really leave that blue behind forever? Even for Mars?

I believe so. I hope so, for humanity's sake. But I couldn't.

[Kjata]

It made me think of Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy. The best Mars colonization books written. By the third book, the planet had been terraformed, and there was a scene where during a sunset the sky was briefly the blue of Earth's sky.

Could anyone really leave that blue behind forever? Even for Mars?

I believe so. I hope so, for humanity's sake. But I couldn't.

Out of 6 billion people, at least a few hundred will. I could leave the blue, but not the number of people.

[Amiel]

You could always eat a Mars bar and pretend :smallbiggrin:


I wouldn't mind traveling to the red planet, but it may be prohibitively expensive; not to mention a lot of things may go wrong. If you wanted to set down on the surface of planet and inadvertently discover a crack in your helmet (either the viewing glass or helmet proper), well, suffice to say you're pretty much screwed.

The planet probably needs to undergo some degree of terraforming before I'm really willing to go I'm afraid :(.

[Level8Mudcrab]

As awesome as it would be, I don't think i'd go. The no way back thing would be an issue for me. It would be nice to visit in the future though.

We'll have to hope this doesn't end up like that Doctor Who episode, The Waters of Mars.

[Zevox]

On a first mission like that? No. I'm not willing to take a risk that big myself.

Once we had a functioning colony set up, even if it were still a one-way trip? Maybe. Depends on my situation in life at that point, and what sort of life I could expect on Mars.

Once we had a functioning colony and two-way travel was possible? Hell yes, assuming cost didn't prevent it. Certainly for a vacation once the travel methods became efficient enough, possibly even as a permanent move.

Zevox

[Amiel]

Will there be zombies on Mars? I believe that's the pertinent question.

[Tinkee]

Very interesting! I'd like to visit, definately wouldnt want to stay though! I think just knowing that I couldnt return even if I wanted to is scary enough to keep me away! Guess ill have to wait until they come up with the two way travel or teleportation devices!

[Lady Moreta]

Will there be zombies on Mars? I believe that's the pertinent question.

Trust you to think about zombies :smalltongue:

[Amiel]

Trust you to think about zombies :smalltongue:

For zombies are serious business.

Actually, if you managed to find a way to produce the "agreeable dead", you'd have a taskforce capable of colonising a planet such as Mars; they'd be able to work in conditions no human could or would survive.
Profiteering on the backs of zombies? Mars says yes.

[happyturtle]

But doesn't that requiring taking a bunch of people to Mars and then making them dead? I suspect that would cut the number of volunteers by 100%. :smalltongue:

[golentan]

But doesn't that requiring taking a bunch of people to Mars and then making them dead? I suspect that would cut the number of volunteers by 100%. :smalltongue:

No, you find dead people and take them to mars. Saves on storage space, food, and oxygen.

[happyturtle]

But then you get 6 month old zombies. For best zombie productivity, you want fresh corpses. *sagenod*

[Amiel]

But doesn't that requiring taking a bunch of people to Mars and then making them dead? I suspect that would cut the number of volunteers by 100%. :smalltongue:



No, you find dead people and take them to mars. Saves on storage space, food, and oxygen.

^This; it cuts on living expenses, cost of housing and assorted costs :smalltongue:. Win-win for all concerned.


Mars also has the perfect atmosphere for prolonged zombification, the lack of moisture allows your friend-helpers to exist almost indefinitely.

[Eldan]

It made me think of Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy. The best Mars colonization books written. By the third book, the planet had been terraformed, and there was a scene where during a sunset the sky was briefly the blue of Earth's sky.

Could anyone really leave that blue behind forever? Even for Mars?

I believe so. I hope so, for humanity's sake. But I couldn't.

Live under an orange sky?
Why not ask me harder questions? Like whether or not I want a bag of money?

Going to mars has been my dream since I first layed hand on a SciFi book. You can bet I'll buy and book with the word "Mars" somewhere on the back cover, no matter how bad it turns out to be, and I *will* read it in two days. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. I don't care how. I want to go.

If I have to cut of an arm, my first question will be "Which joint and with a blunt or a sharp knife?". And I'm scared of mutilation.

Edit: actually, I'd imagine freeze-drying the corpses wouldn't be so hard. Strap them to the outside of your ship, then land them via parachute.

PPS: Now I'll spend the rest of the day thinking about the logisitics of Zombie-Terraforming and how to build a setting out of it. Thanks :smallmad:

[akma]

I wouldn`t go even if I could come back. Travel for months in a closed space, so I could reach another closed space? The only appeal I see is the low gravity, I could jump very high (higher if I`ll manage to convince the orginazers to bring an olympien trampoline. That would be fun as long as I don`t have an accident).

And you forgot an important aspect of zombie colonization: how will you control them?

[Amiel]

Edit: actually, I'd imagine freeze-drying the corpses wouldn't be so hard. Strap them to the outside of your ship, then land them via parachute.

PPS: Now I'll spend the rest of the day thinking about the logisitics of Zombie-Terraforming and how to build a setting out of it. Thanks :smallmad:

:smallbiggrin: You really must post the setting.


Zombies are indeed of a million uses.

[Eldan]

Well...

The first thing to decide would be wether those would be magic zombies or techno zombies. I think I'll make them cybernetically animated corpses. Then we can have Cyberpunk-Mars.
Need a good title, though.

"Tharsis Zombie"? "The Red Dead"? "The Animator of Ma'adim"? "Hellas"?

[randman22222]

How did I miss this thread?!

Hell yes, I would. I saw this, or a similar article a while back, and have been fantasising about it off and on since. :smalltongue:

I would go, I would bring a guitar, and have the first metal concert on a different planet ever. \m/

And, other things. But the metal concert bit amuses me most.

[Eldan]

The best thing? Depending on which photo you look at the sky can apparently be green, pink, red or yellow.

I mean, that planet is awesome. Yes, so is Earth, I mean, it has vegetation and animals. But Mars has a canyon that is seven kilometers deep. So, yeah.

[Amiel]

Well...

The first thing to decide would be wether those would be magic zombies or techno zombies. I think I'll make them cybernetically animated corpses. Then we can have Cyberpunk-Mars.
Need a good title, though.

Hmm, probably more so along the lines of techno-zombies; they'll probably make a great deal more sense, plus science would have sufficiently advanced to the point of allowing for easy zombificiation and also conveniently solving that waste not, want not problem.


"Tharsis Zombie"? "The Red Dead"? "The Animator of Ma'adim"? "Hellas"?

The House of Red? The House of M?


The best thing? Depending on which photo you look at the sky can apparently be green, pink, red or yellow.

I mean, that planet is awesome. Yes, so is Earth, I mean, it has vegetation and animals. But Mars has a canyon that is seven kilometers deep. So, yeah.

It also has the tallest, grandest volcano of the entire solar system, the aptly named Mons Olympus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mons_Olympus); 27 km (17 miles) tall (that's 27,000 m), 624 km (374 miles) in width; "The shield of Olympus Mons covers an area approximately the size of Arizona".

And there's also the Face of Mars.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Martian_face_viking_cropped.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Martian_face_viking.jpg

[Stadge]

I like the idea of it, and fully applaud those who'd be willing to go, but I'm afraid I'd be stuck here. I love the climate of my own country too much to even consider moving permanently to another country (there are a few that would tempt me, but mostly, my point stands), so moving to another planet? I'm afraid I couldn't.

[DeadManSleeping]

Sounds like fun. Though I would have to learn some new skills before going there, like a way to make an instrument out of the native materials. Sure, I'd bring my guitar, but something might happen, and I'll be damned if I go my entire life without an instrument!

But it really does sound pretty awesome. Even ignoring the fact that being one of only 10 or so viable options for 10 or so people is the only way I'll ever get a date, I would basically be doing the most awesome thing I ever could with my life. I'd miss Earth, but Mars is too awesome to pass up.

What exactly is the process for volunteering?

[Eldan]

What would probably kill me would be the health requirements they'd likely put up.

Asthma, heart defect, born with nerve problems (shaking hands, slow reflexes and bad hand-eye coordination) and being overweight would all mean they'd hardly take me.

Damn.

[Maroon]

Well...

The first thing to decide would be wether those would be magic zombies or techno zombies. I think I'll make them cybernetically animated corpses. Then we can have Cyberpunk-Mars.
Need a good title, though.

"Tharsis Zombie"? "The Red Dead"? "The Animator of Ma'adim"? "Hellas"?
"Mummy Masters of Mars"?

I personally wouldn't trust the organizers to properly prepare for long-term habitation, so no, I wouldn't go. Too paranoid.

[Eldan]

I'm an ecologist. I read enough about the Biosphere projects to know that it probably won't work.

I would still go.

[ghost_warlock]

So, I'd probably never see my loved ones again? Well, a good number of them I'll probably never see again anyway, so sign me up.

Just give me a few weeks to get my affairs in order.

I'll be the first Earth fungus on Mars, wooo!

Unfortunately, I fear I don't really have any skills that'd be particularly useful there. :smallfrown:

[Eldan]

Bah. We'll always need manual labour. And as a fungus, you'd be very important for any kind of ecosystem we'd be trying to set up :smallwink:

[Janus]

And there's also the Face of Mars.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Martian_face_viking_cropped.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Martian_face_viking.jpg


For the record, the Face on Mars is considered more of an optical illusion than anything else.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Face_on_mars#.22Face_on_Mars.22_and_.22pyramids.22

[ghost_warlock]

Hm. Would definitely have to do a bit of terraforming; I doubt the Martian soil will sustain me as-is. My hyphae are most easily cultured on pizza and microwave burritos liberally dowsed in hot sauce.

[Eldan]

Dude. Do you have any idea how much organic waste a colony of humans will produce?:smalltongue:

Also, I totally forgot. The zombie setting would have to be named "The Nights of Cydonia". Thanks for reminding me with that picture.

Now I just need an appropriately pulpy system. Gamma World, perhaps.

[akma]

I forgot to mention it in my last post, but I doubt it will be ready in 2030. The original date set for a trip to Mars (and not a colonization) was 1984.

[TSGames]

*snicker* BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!*wipes tear from eye*
This is most hilarious article I've read in a while. Colonizing Mars? On NASA's budget?

http://thatgirlisfunny.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/hilarious.jpg

In all seriousness, I believe the colonization of Mars project is scheduled to launch immediately after the completion of the flying pigs project.

[Eldan]

Actually... it was a joke, mostly, but I knew of a geneticist who was talking about breeding a pig with wings.

[Eloel]

Thinking on that is... the weirdest feeling I ever had. Leaving earth, and everyone on it, to be one of the first colonizers of Mars...
I don't know what it takes to go on it, but if I was offered it, I would probably die of overthinking before I can choose anything.

What is life without risks though? If I had to make an instant decision, I think I'd go.

Edit: They were kidding? Meh, that's what I get for not reading page2...

[Dr.Epic]

Meh, looks interesting (colonizing Mars).

[thorgrim29]

They're not kidding, problem is that goes against NASAs official policy as far as I know and NASA tends to not have money

[drakir_nosslin]

I'd go! Sure it would be hard to leave everything behind, but I think it'd be worth it to be one of the first to colonize a new world.
Besides, it's not like I wouldn't be able to talk to the ones at home.

[Eloel]

Besides, it's not like I wouldn't be able to talk to the ones at home.
I myself wouldn't want to talk to home when I'm there. They'll probably NEVER see you again, and vice versa. "Screw you, I'm going home" is not an option. Find a way to forget them, or you'll suffer forever.

Edit: "You" as in "anyone", not specifically. I felt like it came a bit offensive, didn't mean to.

[The Extinguisher]

I would go. Oh god, I would love to go.
The only problem is loneliness, but I imagine a small number of people stuck together for all that time are going to form some sort of bond.

But still, I would drop everything in order to go into space.

[ForzaFiori]

I really don't know if I would go or not. It would be simply amazing to be one of the first colonists of mars, or any other planet for that matter, and the low g, awesome sky, mons olympus, all of those things would be amazing to see in person. But I don't know if I could really leave all the people I have on Earth, or spend the rest of my life in a tightly packed community like that. I'm a country boy, I need room and trees and stuff.

If I had to decide right now though, I think I'd stay. but that could change.

[mucat]

I myself wouldn't want to talk to home when I'm there. They'll probably NEVER see you again, and vice versa. "Screw you, I'm going home" is not an option. Find a way to forget them, or you'll suffer forever.
What? Why?

There are many distant friends whom I may or may not ever see again...but I still enjoy talking to them.

In any case, I would imagine that someone who planned to cut all ties with Earth wouldn't be chosen for the mission in the first place. It would suggest that they were running away from their past.. Once the mission begins, working in close quarters with the same people for years on end with nowhere further to run away to, such a person could be a real liability.

[drakir_nosslin]

I myself wouldn't want to talk to home when I'm there. They'll probably NEVER see you again, and vice versa. "Screw you, I'm going home" is not an option. Find a way to forget them, or you'll suffer forever.

Edit: "You" as in "anyone", not specifically. I felt like it came a bit offensive, didn't mean to.

No offense taken, don't worry :smallwink:

But yea, I have to agree with mucat here. There are some people I haven't seen for years, but we still talk over the internet occasionally. It would be the same with my family I'd imagine, once they had accepted that I was going.
(My mom wouldn't like this at all...)

[Tirian]

Dude. Do you have any idea how much organic waste a colony of humans will produce?:smalltongue:

None. In order to live sustainably in a closed system, we will first have to learn how to recycle every gram of matter that we consume, and then hopefully we'll have some idea of how to transform some of the native Martian matter into material so that we can actually grow from there. Science fiction is remarkably capable of ignoring just how fundamental and intractable these problems are. Living on Mars, even as a one-way trip, is not a decision that any of us will be able to make during our lifetimes, nor will our children in all likelihood.

[Xyk]

Given an option, I'd have to carefully consider it. And it would have to be several years from now. Because right now, I'm pretty worried about maybe moving across the country. And I'm 17.

I think it would probably be a good decision but only after I've lived for quite some time longer on Earth.

[mucat]

None. In order to live sustainably in a closed system, we will first have to learn how to recycle every gram of matter that we consume, and then hopefully we'll have some idea of how to transform some of the native Martian matter into material so that we can actually grow from there. Science fiction is remarkably capable of ignoring just how fundamental and intractable these problems are. Living on Mars, even as a one-way trip, is not a decision that any of us will be able to make during our lifetimes, nor will our children in all likelihood.

It'd be a challenge, but not as daunting as you paint it.

There would be no need for a closed-system approach. The atmosphere is mainly CO2, so you don't need to recycle carbon or oxygen; you just need live plants to convert the CO2 into useful carbon compounds and oxygen. You can extract carbon and oxygen by artificial chemical processes too, as long as you've got energy...so you need lots of solar panels, and probably a nuclear system as backup (since the fuel is compact and light enough to transport, unlike fossil fuels.)

Water (or hydrogen compounds in general) would be a bigger challenge, and for this you would want to come as close as possible to 100% recycling. It wouldn't have to be perfect -- water is freely available in the polar icecaps -- but you'd want to minimize the amount of water you'd have to transport from the poles to the warmer climates where you would build your homes.

[Tirian]

I agree that we can draw pictures diagramming how these processes would take place. I made that poster when I was in fourth grade and I presume that lots of other people interested in space did as well.

In practice, though, we haven't been able to do anything like it. The closest we have the life support systems in submarines and the space station, which does an adequate job of scrubbing oxygen but you're talking about systems that are constantly resupplied. And nobody on those systems are creating their own food, which will require an incredible outlay of space and additional manpower (which, in turn, adds to the amount of lives that your colony will need to sustain and the complexity of how to handle if things go wrong). Finally, the other luxuries that subs and the space station have is escape pods and a relatively short distance if you need to send emergency supplies to overcome some disaster like a power outage or a critical failure of an oxygen scrubber. If something of that sort goes wrong on Mars, everyone dies because it will be a year before Earth can react to the need.

These problems can be overcome in theory, although I frankly don't think they will. It would take an inconceivable amount of dedication to survive on Mars, and it's not at all clear to me what one gets in return for that investment. If we were to develop self-sustaining bases that allow us to live in currently inhospitable environments, the first few centuries of that technology will be used for us to live in deserts and under the surface of the ocean, not a hundred million miles away from the closest breath of fresh air.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

There are many distant friends whom I may or may not ever see again...but I still enjoy talking to them.
Meh, it'd depend. I had a long-time friend who I lived 10 minutes away from. Got so computer dependent she didn't visit, never wanted visitors and it was an effort to even get her on the phone. Would jabber over messenger for hours though.
To this day she thinks I disappeared on her because I stopped using my messenger, even though I reminded her what my phone number was in the last conversation.

Be worse in space because you can't even message in real time because of time lag.

[Reinboom]

On the earlier discussion of never seeing the same blue sky again...:

The sky of Mars in the easiest to manage locations should be blue. Where it's not blue (depending on the location of the planet and where you're at, just like our planet) it should turn a pinkish.
The reason for this is the same reason as our rocky planet's reason.

[Haruki-kun]

I don't think I could do it. If at least we could have communication, like MSN and Internet or something like that, maybe I'd consider it. But.... it takes what? An hour for a message to get through from Earth to Mars?

And I couldn't leave everything and everyone behind unless there was a prospect of coming back sometime in the future.

[CynicalAvocado]

i'd do it. as long as i'm with someone i dont totally despise

[SMEE]

One way ticket to a several millions miles trip, to live and die with a few other people in a very inhospitable place to open the road for the next ones have a better luck?
Count me in.

[Reinboom]

I don't think I could do it. If at least we could have communication, like MSN and Internet or something like that, maybe I'd consider it. But.... it takes what? An hour for a message to get through from Earth to Mars?

And I couldn't leave everything and everyone behind unless there was a prospect of coming back sometime in the future.

20 Minutes at its furthest.
Reference:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/ask/about-nasa/Keeping_time_in_space.txt

[Haruki-kun]

20 Minutes at its furthest.
Reference:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/ask/about-nasa/Keeping_time_in_space.txt

Ah. OK..... But it still makes holding a conversation pretty tough, doesn't it? =/

[Blue Ghost]

Who knows, it may even help to settle things down on Earth if we start seeing our selves as The Human Race in stead of [Nationality] or [Religion]!

Wait, how would that work? :smallconfused: I don't think taking over another planet would unify the human race anyhow... unless there was another intelligent species on Mars that the human race could set itself against, but that would not be a good thing.
I would not want to go to another planet. I'm really not in favor of the idea of colonizing Mars or any other planet, but I'd be fine with it.

[mucat]

Ah. OK..... But it still makes holding a conversation pretty tough, doesn't it? =/
Depends. Do you consider what we're doing here a conversation?

'Cause you could still totally keep up with the GitP forums. :smallsmile:

[SMEE]

Interplanetary radio internet connection! :smallbiggrin:
I could live with that.

[Reinboom]

Interplanetary radio internet connection! :smallbiggrin:
I could live with that.

If the timeout is setup to not trigger before 20 minutes, you could get decently fast, if only delayed, download speeds as well. :smalltongue:

Also, I imagine it would be fairly easy to request for things like any video game needs you might have.

[SMEE]

That's true. :)
So yeah, I would certainly do that.
In fact, I might look at it when they put the volunteer program up.

[CynicalAvocado]

Interplanetary radio internet connection! :smallbiggrin:
I could live with that.

broadcast you're own stuff.... no FCC in space

[Haruki-kun]

Depends. Do you consider what we're doing here a conversation?

'Cause you could still totally keep up with the GitP forums. :smallsmile:

No, you couldn't... =/ It would be 20 minutes between you hitting Submit Reply and the post arriving. And then if you want to edit something... you can't. It takes 20 minutes to load the edit page and another 20 to edit.

I mean, I guess you could try, but... it wouldn't be successful.

[THAC0]

No, you couldn't... =/ It would be 20 minutes between you hitting Submit Reply and the post arriving. And then if you want to edit something... you can't. It takes 20 minutes to load the edit page and another 20 to edit.

I mean, I guess you could try, but... it wouldn't be successful.

I don't see why it wouldn't be. I mean, conversations might be a bit disjointed, but not too badly. Instant gratification is unnecessary. :smallsmile:

[CynicalAvocado]

I don't see why it wouldn't be. I mean, conversations might be a bit disjointed, but not too badly. Instant gratification is unnecessary. :smallsmile:

a Mars in the playground thread? the thread that's 20 minutes behind :PP

[Snares]

I WANT TO GO I WANT TO GO.

Seriously, not for the whole 'woo sci-fi' kind of thing, not for the recognition, not for the 'betterment of humanity'. I just freaking love the idea of going out into the unknown. There's not enough unknown here on Earth. Yay for other planets. Pfheh, living for months in a confined space with other people, never returning to Earth again... screw that, it's MARS! Besides, it will be for SCIENCE!

Can I sign up now? :smallbiggrin: I'll send you all postcards!

[Eloel]

a Mars in the playground thread? the thread that's 20 minutes behind :PP

100 minutes behind. 20 minutes to see the page, 20 minutes to send, 20 minutes to receive the 'your post has been posted' page, 20 minutes to send refresh signal, 20 more for the thread to come back.

Yes, alot indeed :smallbiggrin:

[Asta Kask]

Yes, because it's not like there was any communication before there were telephones.

It would be more like an e-mail conversation. Or actual, physical letters like we had back in my days.

Kids today.

[Mystic Muse]

I wouldn't go. Doesn't appeal to me. Especially the part about it being one way.

[Johel]

So... When do we pack ? :smallbiggrin:

NASA is probably seeking highly qualified volunteers and that's the catch.

It's already difficult for NASA to find a handful of people with enough skill, intelligence and education to be normal astronauts.
Out of dozens (hundreds ?) of applicants, half a dozen are chosen.
That's to perform missions of a few weeks/months, with extensive preparation of their every move.
Because it's mostly precision, small-scale repair, few people are needed, so that's fine.

Now, to install a permanent settlement on Mars...
I guess the quantity of needed people would increase... but the required quality of said people wouldn't decrease.

So, yeah...
No way for the common folk to be among the volunteers for Mars yet.

[Form]

I wouldn't go. Doesn't appeal to me. Especially the part about it being one way.

Yeah, same for me. I wouldn't go myself, probably not even if it wasn't a one way ticket. I am, however, excited about other people going there and establishing a colony if they want to.

[Frozen_Feet]

ANswer to the question:No.

Anything I ever want to achieve in life I can do better and easier down here. Earth at its worst is better than other planets at their best; down here, I can at least walk out the door and expect air to be breathable and temperature moderate without a lifesupport device.

The trip to Mars and life there would be a life of confinement and restriction. No more long walks in a forest, no more Sauna or long, hot showers, no washing hands unless truly necessary - usage of water would be too closely regulated.

Yes, many of those problems can be circumvented in theory, but terraforming Mars, or any other planet, is utophy. In order to faciliate that, we'd need to send so many resources from Earth to Mars that it would start to cause problems and shortages down here, because before we have logistics in place to use them, using native resources would be extremely hard.

Even in the case we managed to kick-start a self-sufficient colony in Mars, it wouldn't really affect life of most people down here. Most importantly because there will be long periods during which sending more people to Mars would make no damn sense - a colony in such a harsh environment can physically expand only so fast, and after a point it would be foolish to tax martians with trying to accommodate for more immigrants, because they'd have their hands full trying to accommodate for their own children.

And this is excluding costs of space-flight. Trying to send enough people from Earth to Mars that it would have impact on Earth's population size would cost so much resources as to be impossible. Mars would stay a small, scientific colony of maybe few thousand people at most for decades, maybe hundreds of years, and that's assuming it could reach self-sufficiency.

People down here would stay divided along the lines of [Nationality] and [Religion] like they've always been - we'd only have one new group then, [Extraterrestrial]. Personally, I'd count seconds to the first racial slur about martians. (Hey! What about 'martinis'?)

[Trog]

Would I go? No way.

I certainly hope they've done this experiment on earth first before sending people out there. Have them live in the proposed space for, say, five years. Simulate every portion of the vehicle/shelter going wrong to determine if they have the means/know how to fix / manufacture everything and anything that could possibly go wrong with the equipment that they will depend on for the rest of their lives to keep them alive. To do anything else seems irresponsible.

MIR might have given them a good idea of how to do this I suppose. Still, I don't trust em to think of everything and that would be very worrisome once you landed on your new planet.

Having the ability to expand the colony physically would be good too. They need something to do for their whole lives and building a larger space for themselves and possibly more people would be a good idea.

[Kislath]

Maybe we could send our prisoners there first, like they did with Australia. Let them do the hard work of building an inhabitable area for later immigrants.

[Johel]

Maybe we could send our prisoners there first, like they did with Australia. Let them do the hard work of building an inhabitable area for later immigrants.

Someone didn't read what happens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_of_StarCraft#Terrans) when prisoners (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_3) are sent to alien planets...:smallamused:

[TSGames]

Someone didn't read what happens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_of_StarCraft#Terrans) when prisoners (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_3) are sent to alien planets...:smallamused:
Pffft....everyone knows those prisoners had latent psychic powers. Our prisoners are nowhere near as cool. (Except for the Alien prisoners...we could probably find some of similar quality).

[Frozen_Feet]

Maybe we could send our prisoners there first, like they did with Australia. Let them do the hard work of building an inhabitable area for later immigrants.

As far as sending prisoners to extremely hostile conditions to die off, we could as well sent them to Sahara or Antarctica. Would save us some transport expenses. :smalltongue:

In all honesty, it'd likely be more humane to just take them behind a sauna and shoot them in the head.