Would you go on a one-way trip to Mars?

[fortyfeetunder]

My buds at work and I were speculating about the first human flight to Mars. We figured there is no spacecraft currently designed -- that is not using nuclear fuel, that could guarantee a round trip to Mars. So the first human visitor(s) to Mars probably are going one way.

The drawbacks - you need to have an ecosystem established to create a food and water supply so you can last a little more than six months. food will be crappy probably...Count on supply ship reliability to be about 75%

So, if you had that golden opportunity to visit the Red Planet, albeit one way, would you take advantage of it?

What type of things would you take with you to amuse yourself when you aren't innundated with scientific projects (you aren't going there just to get the T-shirt)?

[POed_Ex_Repub]

1. I absolutely WOULD not do that...

Waaay too much on Earth I haven't seen yet. I'd wait until it could be a two way trip. Although I admire anyone who would be able to leave everything behind.

[fortyfeetunder]

4. If I were single, no kids

Absofrigginlutely sign me up...I'd be signing up for e-books and e-videos to keep me amused.

[burrowowl]

2. Yes

Lots of Bach, Montiverdi, Gregorian chant, etc. and books. Computer for doing creative music and painting.

[mykpart]

3. I would buy a one-way ticket

and give it to George W. Bush!

[LastKnight]

5. hell no

leave everything here behind? everything ive spent my whole life gaining only for a solatary life on a different planet. i suppose the upside would be immortality in name being 'the first on mars' but in a hundred years what more is it than your name in a history book. i dont think its worth giving up what little life and friends i have. that and i most likley wouldnt be able to access DU, and if i could, it would have almost no context, i wouldnt be able to get enough news about the world for it to make sense.

-LK

[A-Schwarzenegger]

6. They will use a nuclear powered spaceship.

That way it will get to Mars a lot quicker.
If they can figure out how to get off the
planet Mars because of the gravity (probably
with a smaller nuclear engine) they can come
back. The only drawback is if something goes
wrong taking off with the nuclear ship then
the top two or three feet of the topsoil of
the state of Floida will have to be scraped
off and thrown into the ocean because of
radioactivity. Also I believe that a lot of
the fantastic technology they are developing
for the space missile shield system (Star Wars)
will be very useful in getting astronauts onto
Mars and back. We have to go to Mars to live
so we should start now. The moon is basically
nothing but a bag of dust and we are going to
need a place to live because of problems on earth
that can't be solved. The sooner the better is the
motto of when to start. What are the candidates
views on living on Mars in the future? The pictures
of bedrock on Mars show that there is a good place
to build houses there, because bedrock is a lot stronger
than cement or concrete. We had better get there before
somebody else gets there.

[LastKnight]

7. man on mars in our lifetime is fiction.

the technology simply isnt there to sustain human life that long in that little space with limited supplies (im talking about the trip to)... in zero gravity the human heart shrinks... this would cause craploads of heart problems when reintroduced into a gravity situation. not to mention bush wants to go to mars but is fucking up the whole education system so there will be very little advancements if his education plans stick.

-LK

[A-Schwarzenegger]

8. I believe they have herbs like mugwort or monkey jam

or something that can put astronauts into
an extended coma until they get to Mars,
slowing down their hearts and nerves to
neglilgble levels.

[LastKnight]

9. haha i love your posts...

always something unexpected.

-LK

[A-Schwarzenegger]

11. We need to have one astronaut be a little insane

to be ready for the unexpected on the way to
the Red Planet. I don't believe the imagination
of regular sane astronauts is prepared for the]
unbeloevable things that awaits them on the way
]to Mars. If need be then put him in a strait
jacket part of the time when not on the monkey
jam. As most people here I also believe that
there are other forms of life in the universe,
many of who are much smarter than us, and
therefore probably watching us going to Mars.
I think they are involved a lot in things that
go wrong here and there in our space program.
I don't think they want to tangle with us on
our home turf, but they might be more daring
to catch us on Mars or on the way to Mars when
we would be more vulnerable. This is why I
recommend we have a small nuclear device handy
in case we run into unfriendly alien life, which
we will. Most of the astronauts, I believe I
read, had some story about oddities that they
weren't allowed to talk about. I believe they
saw aliens out there, but cannot talk about it
because everybody will freak out or stop going
to work or watching football. I think some of
them have gone insane from what they saw. This
is why one of them this time should be slightly
insane to start with, so that he or she could
foresee the impossible and also not be freaked
as the sane ones will be when it happens.

[Exultant Democracy]

12. I want my monkey jam now!

give me my monkey jam.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

14. I believe it's in health food stores. Go ask for it.

They also have I believe it's jimmy weed
that farmers chew on in the winter when
time slows down and they want to forget
about things for a few months. Herbs are
the amateur doctors of the plant world that
will be like inner Bekins men as we move
to Mars kit and kaboodle.

[LosAngelesDemocrat]

10. If I had a terminal illness YES!

hehe that would be fun

[ComerPerro]

13. Yeah, sure

Why not?

[scarlet_owl]

15. Uh, no.

I belong on the earth. There are too many wonderful things here I would miss.

[izzie]

16. Well at 70 it does not look so bad.

:eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[VOX]

17. I'll pass for now...

Earth's a big enough challenge!

:toast:

[Kamika]

18. YES!!!!

I'd definetly go there.. Atleast I would experience something most ppl would never experience..

We all die sometime, it's what we've done that counts.

As for what I'd bring?

A tv with an antenna I guess, a Cd player and a bunch of cd's

[TreasonousBastard]

19. Depends on who else is going.

Ain't gonna happen in my lifetime, but colonizing Mars is a dream, even if a one-way trip.

Beats all the things I haven't yet done on Earth. Probably not gonna get around to doing more than two or three of them anyway.

We get internet access up there, don't we?