Manned Mission to Mars in 2018

[Charlie]

WASHINGTON ? A new, privately funded campaign is on to launch a manned mission to fly by Mars in 2018. Of the numerous open questions about the voyage, one of the most pressing is, who should go?

Space tourist Dennis Tito announced the plans Wednesday (Feb. 27) during a press conference in Washington, D.C., at which he described a new nonprofit organization he founded, the Inspiration Mars Foundation, to plan the mission.
Tito envisions sending two crewmembers on a roughly 500-day trip to Mars and back. To combat the isolation and loneliness that could set in, the Inspiration Mars team hopes to recruit a married male-female couple to make the private Mars mission in 2018 together.

Full story: http://www.space.com/19998-inspirati...ried-crew.html

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Hats off to the guy for putting his money into something like this. Not sure how well planned it is or whether the many and very serious dangers have been taken into consideration, or whether it will really happen, but at least he's attempting to push the envelope in terms of human exploration - and that's to be applauded.

It will be incredible for the lucky couple who go, the sight of Earth from space must be a life-changing experience that changes your every philosophy and makes you realise just how precious and fragile our planet is, and one which surely makes a person realise that wars and chasing money and wasting resources on stupid **** like updating mobile phones every year is sheer stupidity.

[fishbowlhead]

I was reading about one of the moon landings the other day. One of the astronauts said that the dust on the moon is so abrasive it went through 4 layers of kevlar on their boots after only a few short walks, in a different article about mars the red dust is apparently even worse, it will literally chew through the current suits in a matter of hours. Just one of the hundreds of hazards they have to literally invent brand new things for just to keep people alive, space exploration is truly amazing .


Id volunteer in a heartbeat for something like this if it was open to joe public.


edit. This ones just a fly by after i read the article. Still, at least they'll find out how long it takes for people to crack being cooped up together for 2 years like that

[EJG1980]

Just one of the hundreds of hazards they have to literally invent brand new things for just to keep people alive, space exploration is truly amazing .

You often hear people saying stuff like this is a waste of time and money, but this is one of the reasons space travel is important (apart from the fact that pushing the boundaries of what humanity can understand, do and achieve, is probably the most noble of pursuits).

I can't remember the exact figure, but for every $1 that was spent on the Apollo missions, $12 was returned to the US economy due to the new technologies invented, kids inspired by the space programme to go into science, etc. etc.. So it's noble, inspiring, and it has long term cash benefits

[VR46]

Not read all the links etc, but the amount of food and toilet rolls they need to take alone was amazing, will read up on it properly later, will be great if it does all manage to go ahead etc.

[PaTaito]

Not read all the links etc, but the amount of food and toilet rolls they need to take alone was amazing, will read up on it properly later, will be great if it does all manage to go ahead etc.

Made me lol.

[Charlie]

edit. This ones just a fly by after i read the article. Still, at least they'll find out how long it takes for people to crack being cooped up together for 2 years like that

Hehe. I imagine the screening and selection process will weed out the unstable. But, yeah, 500 days couped up in a metal can in zero gravity could test the mettle of any relationship.

[Dogg Thang]

If I could bring my GBA, I'd be all over this.

[EvilBoris]

If I could bring my GBA, I'd be all over this.

You'd take your wife to space and abandon your children?!

[Dogg Thang]

I have to bring my wife?

[yvrmikiw]

what happened to the dutch reality tv guy who was doing something similar - although still far-fetched his plan seemed more realistic as up front they stated it was only a one way trip. hey maybe thats what happened, no volunteers lol

[PaTaito]

If I could bring my GBA, I'd be all over this.

What if it broke down like a few days into the trip?

Guess there is always the gamegear...

[fishbowlhead]

What if it broke down like a few days into the trip?

Guess there is always the gamegear...

Theres no power great enough in the universe to power the gamegear for 2 years .


On a more serious note, i would honestly give up everything to pioneer something like this, house, business, the lot.

[importaku]

Exciting & also frustrating as our imaginations outstrip what we are technically capable of. As impressive as it all is been able to even get near another planet the fact is we are still rather primative technologywise. Using rockets is fine but not as you go further out, we have no other power sources that could power something like that. We don't liive in the age that has star trek style technology (yet)

Hell we haven't even mastered controlling radiation on earth yet which is a problem when you're out in space as it's full of the stuff, oh to be able to look 1000 years ahead & see what we had progressed into. Well thats assuming that we haven't been wiped out from natural disasters/war/religion/raptors (delete as appropriate)

[CMcK]

The good lady and I have been following this story quite closely and I admit if I was a bit younger I would be tempted to apply. Giving up everything would be very hard but the chance to inspire youngsters and indeed unify people all over the world is an incredible opprtunity.
I do wonder if TV bosses have their eye on this and end up trying to make some kind of talent contest out of the selection and training process. Surely it would be hard for a charity to turn that money down?

[CMcK]

Hell we haven't even mastered controlling radiation on earth yet which is a problem when your out in space as it's full of the stuff, oh to be able to look 1000 years ahead & see what we had progressed into. Well thats assuming that we havent been wiped out from natural disasters/Facebook/laziness/stupidity/religion/raptors (delete as appropriate)

Surely the ISS has sufficient shielding to protect its inhabitants?