What Made 400 People Volunteer for a One-Way Mission to Mars?

[Adrianor 628]

www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/01/10/space-volunteer-way-mission-mars/

There are people who would certainly go to mars-but on a one way mission?

Would you go out there and leave behind your country, your friends, your family, your home, earth forever?

It seems nobody would want to go, but yes, there are 400 people who'd be willing to go to mars. Discuss.

[LivingInThePast 364]

The only thing in their life that they could get recognition for?

[Easy Bakes 253]

Iv been saying that for years.

there would be no shortage of volunteers for a one way mission to mars.

In the 60s there would have been many more then 400.

[DocRorlach 25]

And would be happily among them. Once you are old enough to think that you just about done everything you wanted to do on this planet, a one way mission "out there" sounds like not such a bad idea. I rather think that limiting it to Mars is a underselling the idea.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

The article has some caveats from NASA, but nobody qualified the people going to the New World from Europe.  They just went, for various personal reasons.  NASA should butt out.  If I was healthy and young, I would go.

[mightygoose 92]

i'd go.

[metarvo 710]

My guess is that they either were tired of Earth or problems on Earth and wanted an escape, or they just wanted to go somewhere else so badly.  Then again, I could be wrong.  The "one-way" part alone would make me say "no" to this, because I don't think I would want to give up on Earth just yet.  Perhaps another question would be, "Will it be possible to do this in the lifetime of any of these 400 people?"

[Adrianor 628]

I just can't leave life behind and forget about it, as if it were a dream. Plus, I'm still young and I have basically a whole life ahead of me.

[Meg 368]

As a kid, I was very frustrated when I figured out that I was expected to live life limited to just this planet.   An opportunity to go elsewhere would have been quite welcome.  Unfortunately, I realized that, by the time it would be possible, I would be too old to go.

[SirAdamSugar 0]

It probably is a really good idea for some people, leave all your worries behind and start a new life. Plus, you can send video transmissions (though not live) home as NASA have already done with robots. I would probably go if I could forget my family, (or they died of old age etc)

[Larks2242 251]

I never understood astronauts, why would you want to explore space when you haven't even explored the entire earth?

[Muck308 55]

Larks, some people are trailblazers. All trails have been blazed here on Earth, with the exception of some underwater places. I think I'll remain here on Earth. I've grown rather fond of this place.

[TekindusT 3,809]

It could be cool to be remembered as a settler in Mars, but there are so many stuff on Earth that I want to enjoy...

[mightygoose 92]

it would be an opportunity to take part in something that helps drag human kind into its first true space age. to be such a pioneer would be an honor and i can't really see how anyone, even if they cannot see it themselves, cannot at least understand the appeal.

[nathanthemayor 1,261]

I think that this is a good idea because it can create jobs and also going to Mars may have a lot of benefits despite the cons.

[Larks2242 251]

Originally posted by: mightygoose

 i can't really see how anyone, even if they cannot see it themselves, cannot at least understand the appeal.quote>

After what happened to that school teacher, I'd stay clear of any space travel, plus to me walking on a planet in space is pointless, i realize it is cool to some but i guess cause I'm not into it it just doesn't make sense to me, kinda like Sci fi tv.

[Barbarossa 51]

.

  Edited September 8, 2012 by Barbarossa  

[LivingInThePast 364]

Originally posted by: nathanthemayor

I think that this is a good idea because it can create jobs and also going to Mars may have a lot of benefits despite the cons.quote>

Please explain the benefits of an individual person going to Mars.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Originally posted by: LivingInThePast

Originally posted by: nathanthemayor

I think that this is a good idea because it can create jobs and also going to Mars may have a lot of benefits despite the cons.quote>

Please explain the benefits of an individual person going to Mars.
quote>

They would not send an Individual person. a group of people with lots of equipment to generate

air and water for thier suits. And to  find local sources to use.

[LivingInThePast 364]

No, the benefit to THAT PERSON. There's no real motive: religious freedom, escape from warlords, etc.

[Larks2242 251]

Well they would have certainly escaped a warlord, unless of course he sends an army up there after them.

[blade2k5 1,523]

I'd go in a heartbeat with no hesitation what-so-ever. Too bad I was born early.

[astronelson 339]

Originally posted by: LivingInThePast

No, the benefit to THAT PERSON. There's no real motive: religious freedom, escape from warlords, etc.quote>

This is closer to Captain Cook than the Pilgrims. Less Mayflower, more HMS Endeavour.

The benefit to that person is exploration, and going somewhere as yet untouched by humans. The chance to discover something astounding.

To put it more succinctly, FOR SCIENCE! There are few nobler goals than expanding mankind's knowledge.

[Kevin 101]

I suppose it would depend on who I could bring with me.

A one-way trip would be quite pioneering of someone, but I don't think I could do it without some people that are close to me. As others have said, an older person may have different feelings about this.

[kathrynlacey 36]

The reason is economically speaking, it costs much more to return a colony to earth than it does to send them there in the first place. A good book on this very topic (science fiction) is titled "As it Is on Mars".

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

There is a fiction series by Kim Stanley Robinson about Mars colony.  I think it covers the ground.

Frankly, I would like to be the first person to urinate on the Martian plain.  That's a sufficient reason, if I suffocated in the next instant.  Man should go and contaminate some other place, again.  (urine is steile unless you have a bladder infection).

Yes, I am being facetious.  I can't go, so why not?

[Adrianor 628]

So, how many people would go on this trip? Not more than 50, i guess.

[mightygoose 92]

red mars by kim stanley robinson is incredibly good, as is voyage by stephen baxter however that is an alt history where the JFK doesnt get dead. both excellent hard scifi regarding first mars missions.

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: mightygoose

red mars by kim stanley robinson is incredibly good, as is voyage by stephen baxter however that is an alt history where the JFK doesnt get dead. both excellent hard scifi regarding first mars missions.quote>

I own the Mars Trilogy and have gone through them a second time, currently about 100 pages into Blue Mars.  Excellent books that should be made into films or mini-series.

[Jasoncw 11,839]

It might be cool to live in a colony, but I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life with the same 400 people. Even if more people eventually came and if people had children, I wouldn't even want to be stuck with only 1000 people.

Plus they wouldn't need architects, so they wouldn't need me. They'd need engineers and researchers and stuff.