The goal should also be procreation as soon as we arrive so that we start to colonize the planet as quickly as possible. We are going to need to learn the effects on pregnant women and babies (both in space and on Mars) and we might as well start sooner than later.

There is no way right now we should worry about bringing people back from Mars (until maybe 50-100 years from now when it's much cheaper to do so).

The only point in bringing people back now is so that we can march them down Broadway in a ticker-tape parade and give everyone here the chance to 'see' or 'witness' the Mars astronauts. That is complete bullshit. Instead of worrying about bringing people back, we should be worrying more about keeping them alive on Mars indefinitely.

Anyone volunteering to go to Mars should understand the challenges today of a return trip and be instead focused on longevity on Mars and colonization there.

The natural course of improving technology will bring us inexpensive return flight possibility within approximately 20-30 years, and a prime goal of any colony should be processing materials found on mars to create fuel for both energy consumption on planet as well as for future missions to the moons of mars, the asteroid belt and of course, to get those born on Mars the chance to experience the heavy gravity of mother earth. Although the scenery can't be beat, I can't imagine they'd enjoy that very much.

jk74

nintendude

nintendude

Mars all to myself. My own fucking PLANET. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Sabre_Justice: Okay, no more long name.

Now if we were going to colonize, or start a colony on mars. Small base of some sort. Yeah, that would be cool. As long as I had a ride back home.

But to just go there, to die.. Nah, count me out. Whats the point off doing something good, if you don't live to reap the rewards.

Personally I don't know why they have not made an attempt to freaking build a base on the moon, then launch from there? I mean, yeah the initial cost would be high. But going from the moon the Mars I would imagine would be a whole lot easier than going from Earth to Mars, because of our gravity and using up a whole ton of fuel just to get off the ground.

-Core-

NASA... just in case ...u thinking about it... i am the one for u....

LucifeL

theboyfrombrasil

Sheesh.

remccain

XJ_4x4

frogfart

septer45

ps61318

MyquiH

General "Buck" Turgidson: Doctor, you mentioned the ratio of ten women to each man. Now, wouldn't that necessitate the abandonment of the so-called monogamous sexual relationship, I mean, as far as men were concerned?
Dr. Strangelove: Regrettably, yes. But it is, you know, a sacrifice required for the future of the human race. I hasten to add that since each man will be required to do prodigious... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual characteristics which will have to be of a highly stimulating nature.

Aneurism

Aneurism

*First* we send the return vehicle, unmanned. Because it's not a manned flight, we can send it by a much longer orbit that requires much less fuel and is cheaper, but wouldn't be feasible for a human crew. Also, we can use one of the numerous "smash it into the planet without breaking it" landing methods NASA has been working on for years, which also require less fuel, but would smash a squishy human to bits. THen, once the return vehicle lands, *after you do a remote-controlled check to make sure it's working properly*, you launch your human cred in a one-way one-time use vehichle, which, as mentioned in the article, requires less fuel, less food, and doesn't need as much complicated and breakage-prone flying-machine technology.

rraszews

Aneurism

"The aliens landed in Roswell
And the government hid them so no one could see
It happens every week on the X-Files
So why can't it happen to me "

Life On Mars Lyrics by Nerf Herder

winsucker

Asvetic

fernando_maciel

God, so anyone can make the cut at NASA these days, eh?

hisham

openartist

bespokenhero

Personal list:
Porn...................[ok]
Hand Cream.........[ok]
Paper tissues........[ok]
Back up porn........[ok]
Cheetos..............[ok]
Booze.................[ok]
50 beef burritos....[ok]
Inflatable doll (2)...[ok]

Note: Make shure the tech guys replace with a Blu-ray player the HD DVD I saw the other day (cheap bastards)

DeLarge

TheMightyAlbatross

bigrjsuto

matiah

Has anyone seen the trailer for the new animated film "WALL-E"? Seems like NASA stole an idea to me...

Wall-e's job... make the earth habitable again
One way to mars volunteer.. set up colony to make Mars habitable.

saying that... I would go

Chameleon8474

med

Yall forgetting this is NASA something will go wrong, the crafts are allways breaking and if something happens on mars what the hell they gonna do for you you need atleast 2 people to go up there.

if something happens to that person NASA needs to know or if you have to make a mayday call to NASA or if you encounter some other beings up there 2 witnesses is always better.

imagine being up there and ET is outside your dome and you calling NASA and they telling you some bs like your seeing a a dust storm that just happens to look like a figure trying to get in the dome.

In truth there is no way in hell it would work forgeting all of the food how would you get enough water for atleast a couple months to survive on while you figure out how to heat up mars to melt the ice

water is extremely heavy you would need a ship twice the size of the space shuttle to have enough water you'd have to feel two olympic size pool space ships with food and water because they wont have the ice on mars into water by the time you get there.

utube2007

Why quit smoking - I'd start again!

kclofter

As long as I didn't have to pay for anything, the ship had a great HUD and a huge personal harddrive so I could watch any movie / listen to any music I wanted, and loads of sweet files on secret government projects so I could read up on all the cool shit the general public doesn't know.

Basically, if I could be entertained, that would be great. Oh internet, however slow and delayed from the giant distance, would be wonderful.

soldstatic

tranism

Though I would like Jenna (r) with me ;)

Crescent

ABlueDuck

gizmodohomepage

sephil

Uglyshoe

thechansen

thechansen

Question: I get the one way piece of it but why only one person? I mean one man one woman one way. The data nasa would get regarding relationships in space, and how both sexes function over an extended journey as well as how both sexes handle the concept of a mission that they cannot return from. Plus the increased odds for success and positive morale. It just makes more sense.

BigViper

The one man mission is a bigger stumbling block. One person, even with comms back to earth, would progressively go nuts over months or years. I know life support systems would be easier for one person, but people can and do go nuts without social contact. Given the signal latency between Earth and Mars, they can forget about socialization through WOW and the like.

I also think technology needs to improve quite a long way. It seems that the ISS can't even go a year without something major breaking down. If that is the current state of things, then a one way mission to Mars is suicide. On top of that, with current technology, there is no way to make air, water or food on Mars. Even the ISS can't get by without those essentials.

They need to have habitation and supplies in place before anyone gets there. And then they have to land them in the right place when they do get there.

nimblesquirrel

Kingteddybear

1204

awesomerobot

awesomerobot

In any case, I think it would make much, much more sense to send an older couple up. They'd be together, so less likely to go crazy from loneliness. They'd already have lived a pretty long life, so the PR wouldn't go south on 'em quite as much. Given shelter and supplies, they'd be able to live for years even if return to Earth was unlikely/impossible. They'd already be old, so the possibility of developing cancer from radiation exposure would be of little consequence. Give 'em a nice, clean carbon monoxide generator, and they'll go nice and peacefully, remembered as the most famous couple ever. Very romantic, if you ask me...

liroku

Or you could send an un-manned one way rocket with supplies for a year, every year until your astronaut is retrieved.

Jordan Lund

+ Watch video

discounteggroll

discounteggroll

StarChaser Tyger

Cross-eyedCyclops

"Im in ur space station eatn all ur kimchi"

MagnoliaBoy

PeteRR

White

Dooga

Triborough

n8srq

There, that should convince at least a couple people to go...:p

citizen.lambda

surfer88

corhou99

yojinbo

ps: and yes, i'm dead serious.

DG

lucabrazi

o0adam0o

ripfire

Sign me up. Period.

LastVigilante

The smart way to do this would be find someone willing to go spend 2 or 3 years on the planet, and do research, then send an unmanned craft to land and launch them back to earth. Most people don't seem to understand that you can send more than one craft there, and would actually be cheaper because you can spread the development time out over a longer time frame.

Now, why do we need to do this. There's a few reasons but yes they mostly boil down to the eggs in one basket line. Heinlein put it best "The second best thing about space travel is that the distances involved make war very difficult, usually impractical, and almost always unnecessary. This is probably a loss for most people, since war is our race's most popular diversion, one which gives purpose and color to dull and stupid lives. But it is a great boon to the intelligent man who fights only when he must-never for sport." If nothing else, man moving out in to space will let us be peaceful, for those that are the first to go will be the intelligent type that chose to work together instead of work against.

Technogen

As a few others have said before, we all have to die sometime, right? At least this way, I would have a say in the matter--dying by my own hand, fulfilling a life-long dream.

JustThisGuy

superbad

theimmc

Razta

SneakerFiend

Ok sign here, now do you know that you will probably not make it back?

WAIT I JUST SIGNED!!!
*Halls the person off to training and then when the launch happens he crashes it into cuba.

--Tito--

graham1010

iridius

XianZomby

XianZomby

ihavenoimaginationwhenitcomestopickingausername

inovak

spectator101

bramachari

- several iPods (they do break)
- 1000 albums, 1000 books, 1000 movies
- a cool computer replaceable by supply rocket every year. no linux, mac only.
- 30 pairs of jeans (Levis 501s)
- 30 assorted witty anti-republican tshirts
- 30 pairs of running shoes
- 30 running shorts
- tons of cool video games (no pong, tetris) like WoW
- 8 tracks of ProTools and a Martin D28 with 50 sets of strings
- porn (for research)
- good internet and cable access
- a 4 wheel all terrain Mars buggy
- a handgun (dont ask!)
- regular comms with earth to talk to my mom
- can i bring my dog?

other than that, im ready to go. do i win?

kipmartin

I'll go up there with no problem give me a cure for the cold and everything else at least 2 robots and plenty of food, water, air, books to read as many as can fit in the ship, let me pick the spot to set up base and tell me if there are aliens anywhere in the solar systems i at least wanna know what to expect.

you already got the two rovers and ET up there you wont be completely alone you got two somewhat smart things from earth with you plus ET you could find something to do

utube2007

ottermann

why does it have to be a suicide mission, when you can set up a self-sustainable environment, that is, if you put in the time to maintain your shit and not let it go to rust?

water can be extracted from the ice cap, can't remember if it's the N or S one...etc

Spaceboy

@rtwod2:
I can see it now, log of the Emo astronaut:

-Day 1
Mood - Apathetic
"Its dark, and cold; like my soul.

-Day 2
Mood - Apathetic
"It's still dark and cold. I still hate my parents.

-Day 3
Mood - Apathetic
"I wish I had a pair of my little sister's pants; they look great on me."

-Day 4
Mood - Apathetic
"Stabby Rip Stab Stab."

-Day 5
Mood - VERY Apathetic
"I feel like Tacos"

Out2gtcha

jetexas

P3nnst8r

dylanjin

lucky_you

1. All the women I want before I leave.
2. Stay in the White House for a month.
3. My family is exempt from taxes for the next 1000 years.
4. A small caliber handgun (with ammo) to take with me. (I know what it's for, do you??)
5. Anything/everything else I can't think of at this time....

spectator101

- a bunch of ipods, about 1000 movies, 1000 books, and 1000 albums.
- 30 pairs of jeans, 30 tshirts, 30 flannel shirts, and 10 Red Sox hats.
- pizza. and 20,000 diet cokes
- a guitar with 50 sets of strings. a D28 would be fine.
- porn (preferably hi-def lesbian movies).
- regular radio comms with earth to talk to my mom, friends.
- internet access.
- the ability to vote against republicans.
- 8 tracks of ProTools.
- video games. good ones, no pong, tetris. WoW would be good.
- a lunar-type all terrain vehicle.
- a supply package now and then.

do i win???

kipmartin

Nasa copycats!

Spaceboy

It's pretty much the best chance I've got to make it into the history books.

Well, best chance aside from doing porn, but why sell out when I can take the record-breaking schlong to Mars?

jetexas

MagnoliaBoy

I think the better plan is to setup a base on the moon and once that colony is more established work from getting there to Mars. The moon would also be a much better proving ground for working on creating a contained human-supporting habitat (like a biosphere) while still close to the Earth to get new supplies and equipment. Then we can use that knowledge and experience to begin planning an setting up a similar habitat on Mars.

fallenturtle

And hence lose the advantage of only sending one person.

wjousts

I believe that is implicit in the definition of the one-way trip.
Saying I'll take the one-way trip on the assumption that it's not really one-way and I can come back some time later is cheating.

wjousts

kurrupt_1

Secondly, you would have to send 2 or 3 people. Really the extra person would help and provide redundancy in case of failure of the human manchine :)

walkingagh

theidiotlaser

The difference is, the chance of surviving climbing a mountain alone may be small, but it is non-zero. The chance of surviving the trip to Mars is zero since they are explicitly making no provisions for a return trip. And since they are talking about the decreased need for consumables and supplies, I think it's a fair bet they aren't even planning an extended stay.
Go to Mars, report your successful landing and then wait for your oxygen to run out. Yeah, where do I sign up?

wjousts

aquiros

ripfire

(Unless of course, your ship somehow crashes back to Earth and think that you're on a different planet...)

ripfire

redkamel

Sean Harrington

I CAN HAZ TANG?

DeepFriar

sandmanfvr

Hyruu

The interviewer asked the first applicant, an engineer, how much he wanted to be paid for going.

"One million dollars," the engineer answered. "And I want to donate it all to my alma mater - Rice University."

The next applicant was a doctor, and the interviewer asked him the same question.

"Two millions dollars," the doctor said. "I want to give a million to my family and leave the other million for the advancement of medical research."

The last applicant was a lawyer. When asked how much money he wanted, he whispered in the interviewer's ear, "Three million dollars."

"Why so much more than the others?" the interviewer asked.

The lawyer replied, "You give me three million, I'll give you one million, I'll keep a million, and we'll send the engineer."

HoseHead

innout3x3

TheCyberBob

-I wonder if once someone got up there, there would be a way to get supplies to them consistantly.

-Like a series of rockets that is always on its way, dropping things off at a set time.

-Like the supply drops on LOST.

-Holy shit this is my chance to get in on the REAL LIFE DHARMA inititive.

mxmarks

daveedo

Sam_Zebian

weatherman

infmom

humperdinck

We'll be setting up greenhouses, right? I mean, with all those rovers we've sent, we've got to know the ambient temperature variations as well as average sunlight and soil nutrient/mineral content.

I've always wanted a greenhouse garden.

I'd also need a copy of every movie ever made regardless of content or genre, every song ever recorded, and every book ever written in English, German, French, and Italian. Never a better opportunity to become fluent.

s0crates82

infmom

carphead

subodhgupta

ps61318

jibbly

ps61318

MFlick

mariogalaxyman

aec007

Amiash Loves You

DaveExile

mtopper

gotenki

Give me a break. How would you even screen for this mission? You can't be suicidal, well, acutally you do have to be suicidal just not in the ordinary way. You have to be smart, tough, lucky, and willing to live and die alone. You'd have to be able to be your own doctor, mechanic, farmer, spokesman, and friend. If you change your mind, too bad.

Generally we call these people hermits. Here's a news flash, Hermits aren't usually in it for the fame and glory. This person will have to be a hermit who doesn't mind being watched by NASA scientists 24 hours a day.

I suppose a guy like Dick Proenneke would do. Almost.

The thing of it is, why send a person at all? What is a person going to tell us about Mars that more sophisticated robots can't? Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think there is a whole lot to do there. It is really cold. It is really barren. Why do I need some poor sap to relay those things to me?

What they need to do is send a team of astronauts, each with a different scientific background and a robot that looks something like a dog. Then we hope that the dog-robot doesn't hunt and kill everyone due to a malfunction.

Ess

RichardMNixon72

mariogalaxyman

monkeyrotica

Project Constellation has some pretty good descriptions on how future space missions will look like:

[en.wikipedia.org]

anti-hello-kitty

alinear

Joseph

sonicwind

So, uplifting humanity, furthering science, possibly starting another space race, and being the first man on mars... How could you not instantly jump on that bandwagon.

I would go and never look back.

deucailion

Curves

krokus

Mandatory_Field

BoinK

Hmmm, I mean, if you sent plenty of lube, and beamed 24/7 PR0N sites...would you really be that alone. Maybe you'd find some spice or do some wind surfin. nah. I would atleast need trees. Gotta have trees.

(Huey, Duey and Luey for compadrés)

SigmundTheSeaMonster

And no I wouldn't do this no reason to be a martyr for science.

Ultraorange

Navin R Johnson

izim1

CaptainIndia

HAY LETS GO TO MARZ

Altanader

Have sex with that excrement.

JamesF1

ChimeraReality

Ansel Adams whishes he had snapped that but in black and white.

McLucky

shiftyeyedgoat

TRUguillotine

Don't you know? In space Jesus can't hear you scream!

atomicafro

[arcade.nick.com]

Y2KGTP

Barry99705

archercc

gizak

MarlboroTestMonkey7

tastybytes

M.O.D.O.K.

MarlboroTestMonkey7

Is it considered suicide(a very drawn out version with a purpose)?

Will they make it so you have a painless death instead of cringing over in utter starvation? Perhaps giving you something to have you go quietly.

I'd do it if someone could convince me that there was a possible way back(lying of course), therefore I don't go there with the intention of dying therefore not making it suicide.

Rmags

CarbonatedWater

MarlboroTestMonkey7

GoatMonkey

sgodun