One-way to Mars: Novel Idea or Wacko?

[Ramashan]

Mars or Bust

The vast plains of Mars may be the most promising place beyond Earth for human colonization, but is it enough for a one-way trip to the red planet? Two researchers seem to think so.

Its a rather novel idea, although not unique if the series 'From the Earth to the Moon' is to be believed, to send a one way expedition to Mars or several of them, and just have them live off the land so to speak.

It seems like a radical idea to just get off the couch and do something, since getting to Mars seems to be easier than getting back to Earth. But, its sort of a one way ticket to the grave as well, isn't it?

I mean, I'm sure there would actually be people who would volunteer for search a trip. I mean, who wouldn't want to be known at the first people on Mars. Well, first person, there was Armstrong and that other guy. But, seriously? Is this how we want to explore space?

I think the actual act of just getting humans to other worlds is great and doable, if not expensive, and we should definitely get off our communal butts and do it. But are one way trips the best way to do this? Would you volunteer for such an expedition?

[Azog 150]

I don't think I could do it.

As much as it would be great to be known for thousands of years to come as a pioneer of space exploration (I often think how great it would be to be an Explorer from the 15-18th Centuries and I guess this would be a more modern version of that), I just don't think I could leave behind everything I have ever known for some bleak and cold planet that lies years away and knowing I would die there.

[Gordon Freynman]

I believe we need a more sophisticated and efficient propulsion system before trips to Mars become reasonable, something like the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (say that ten times fast ). For a one-way trip chemical rockets could probably work, but a six month travel time means you have to pack all the more supplies in for the astronauts, plus all the stuff you need to set up a colony, which in turn means you need more/bigger rockets to get the extra weight out of Earth orbit.

It's certainly a novel idea, but I can't ever see something like this getting funded, or even promoted by an overly optimistic Obama administration.

[Holger Danske]

For a one-way trip chemical rockets could probably work, but a six month travel time means you have to pack all the more supplies in for the astronauts, plus all the stuff you need to set up a colony, which in turn means you need more/bigger rockets to get the extra weight out of Earth orbit.

An intelligent engineer would build such a spacecraft in orbit.

[MathiasOfAthens]

You could just bring the supplies in in parts and assemble the ship in space.

[Gordon Freynman]

You could just bring the supplies in in parts and assemble the ship in space.

Doing that would require some sort of a established spaceport, or shipyard, and a efficient method of transporting materials to the shipyard, otherwise it would be far less effective than just launching the ship from Earth.

Sadly, I think we're still quite a ways away from having a working spaceport.

[Phier]

One way trips are cheaper and easier.

All the weight and space that was taken by the return trip fuel could be used for things like habitats and food.

I could see some people volunteering but to really get the best crew it would have to be compulsory as you would want the BEST people for something like this. Something for the future world government to do at gun point.

[MathiasOfAthens]

But are we even capable of constructing the habits necessary. Were talking about some sort of greenhouse to create oxygen and grow food. Not to mention water. Without water nothing will work.

[General Brittanicus]

But are we even capable of constructing the habits necessary. Were talking about some sort of greenhouse to create oxygen and grow food. Not to mention water. Without water nothing will work.

There is ice at the poles is there not? If its ice made from water then the colony could be set up by the poles- i dont know how much ice/water is there though, so it might run out pretty quickly once we got there.

All we need to do is figure out a way of getting mars's core spinning again(might be difficult considering its all solidified now) and a way of keeping it spinning, if we did, the planet will have a magnetic field capable of protecting any atmosphere from the solar winds, then we need to create an atmosphere somehow and terraform the planet.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Im interested in knowing if that too is even possible?

[Gordon Freynman]

Im interested in knowing if that too is even possible?

Terraforming a planet? It's definitely possible, but not with today's technology.

Getting it's core to rotate? I wouldn't say it's impossible, but it would be extremely difficult even with highly advanced technology, and would require an unimaginable amount of energy.

[Ramashan]

Supposedly there is plenty of water in the ice caps for fairly long term settlement. And the solution to the solar winds are lava tubes. Basically, find one, seal it off and get air into it. Don't really have to worry too much about pressure (may be wrong there) I think the studies done by that soil probe not too long ago showed that the alkaline level of the Martian soil was good enough to grow certain earth plants, just gotta get some atmosphere and water.

Not sure compulsory would be the best idea, but yes, you would want the best and sometimes volunteers don't come with all the qualifications, but forcing people to go wouldn't really work out well either.

The concept is an appealing one, just do it. But I really don't see it being a very practical idea. I like Jame's Cameron's idea better. Send everything the astronauts need to Mars first: Habitat, landing craft, fuel, supplies, return ship, the when its all set and ready you send the crew. Any idea is long term and honestly, any attempt could quite possibly turn into a one way trip anyway.

[Phier]

Supposedly there is plenty of water in the ice caps for fairly long term settlement. And the solution to the solar winds are lava tubes. Basically, find one, seal it off and get air into it. Don't really have to worry too much about pressure (may be wrong there) I think the studies done by that soil probe not too long ago showed that the alkaline level of the Martian soil was good enough to grow certain earth plants, just gotta get some atmosphere and water.

Not sure compulsory would be the best idea, but yes, you would want the best and sometimes volunteers don't come with all the qualifications, but forcing people to go wouldn't really work out well either.

The concept is an appealing one, just do it. But I really don't see it being a very practical idea. I like Jame's Cameron's idea better. Send everything the astronauts need to Mars first: Habitat, landing craft, fuel, supplies, return ship, the when its all set and ready you send the crew. Any idea is long term and honestly, any attempt could quite possibly turn into a one way trip anyway.

Forcing people would work fine I think.

Their choices would be succeed or die.

[Claudius Gothicus]

Forcing people would work fine I think.

Their choices would be succeed or die.

Lol there's goes the libertarian.

[General Brittanicus]

Supposedly there is plenty of water in the ice caps for fairly long term settlement. And the solution to the solar winds are lava tubes. Basically, find one, seal it off and get air into it. Don't really have to worry too much about pressure (may be wrong there) I think the studies done by that soil probe not too long ago showed that the alkaline level of the Martian soil was good enough to grow certain earth plants, just gotta get some atmosphere and water.

Not sure compulsory would be the best idea, but yes, you would want the best and sometimes volunteers don't come with all the qualifications, but forcing people to go wouldn't really work out well either.

The concept is an appealing one, just do it. But I really don't see it being a very practical idea. I like Jame's Cameron's idea better. Send everything the astronauts need to Mars first: Habitat, landing craft, fuel, supplies, return ship, the when its all set and ready you send the crew. Any idea is long term and honestly, any attempt could quite possibly turn into a one way trip anyway.

Well i think you'd have ot create your own lava tubes first for that to work, because mars's core is solid- there isnt any lava or so we believe which is why all the volcanoes are dead, but on the bright side there wont be any earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.

Terraforming a planet? It's definitely possible, but not with today's technology.

Getting it's core to rotate? I wouldn't say it's impossible, but it would be extremely difficult even with highly advanced technology, and would require an unimaginable amount of energy.

We would need to keep it spinning as well- the core used to spin, but it cooled and solidifed, there was probably an atmosphere on mars/ maybe life, but as soon as it lost its magnetic field, it lost its atmosphere to eh solar winds. We wouldnt neccesarily have to get the core spinning-just find some protection from the sun.

[Exarch]

The concept is an appealing one, just do it. But I really don't see it being a very practical idea. I like Jame's Cameron's idea better. Send everything the astronauts need to Mars first: Habitat, landing craft, fuel, supplies, return ship, the when its all set and ready you send the crew. Any idea is long term and honestly, any attempt could quite possibly turn into a one way trip anyway.

the chances for murphy's law to screw things up would be more than immense though

[InsaneHanz]

I would gladly go. Living on another planet, doing someone no other living thing has ever done, would be amazing. I would feel like all of my life goals were achieved. I don't think growing old on earth would be as satisfying.

[Frederich Barbarossa]

We should terraform mars.

[Exarch]

well after setting up the comm array and the biodomes and reservoirs, you;d start to hallucinate and go insane like those inmates in solitary

[Dubh the dark]

The one way trip seems to be the thing to do around NASA these days;

NASA and DARPA have joined forces to build something called a Hundred-Year Starship, according to the director of NASA’s Ames Research Center. Simon “Pete” Worden said NASA contributed $100,000 to the project and DARPA kicked in $1 million.
“The human space program is now really aimed at settling other worlds,” Worden said, according to a Singularity University blog that covered the event. “Twenty years ago you had to whisper that in dark bars and get fired.” (Worden added that he was fired by President George W. Bush.)
Beyond that, there are no details. But the prospect of a DARPA-NASA spaceship collaboration for Star Trek-esque exploration sounds thrilling — even if by definition, a 100-year ship means leaving Earth and never coming back.

http://www.popsci.com/science/articl...-there-forever