Proposed - one person - one way mission to Mars

[glactus]

One Way

Will humans ever really go to Mars? Let’s face it, the obstacles are quite daunting. Not only are there numerous, difficult, technical issues to overcome, but the political will and perseverance of any one nation to undertake such an arduous task just can’t be counted on.


To Mars

However, one former NASA engineer believes a human mission to Mars is quite doable, and such an event would unify the world as never before. But Jim McLane’s proposal includes a couple of major caveats: the trip to Mars should be one-way, and have a crew of only one person.

“When we eliminate the need to launch off Mars, we remove the mission’s most daunting obstacle,” said McLane. And because of a small crew size, the spacecraft could be smaller and the need for consumables and supplies would be decreased, making the mission cheaper and less complicated.

While some might classify this as a suicide mission, McLane feels the concept is completely logical.

“There would be tremendous risk, yes,” said McLane, “but I don’t think there would be any shortage of people willing to volunteer for the mission. Lindbergh was someone who was willing to risk everything because it was worth it. I don’t think it will be hard to find another Lindbergh to go to Mars. That will be the easiest part of this whole program.”

However, there will be understandable opposition to this proposal as some believe that the Mars Society has forwarded sustainable programs for humankind's venture to the Red Planet.

A plan to send inflatable habitat and stores in a re-usable rocket before the main mission, with the rocket refuelling with locallly produced hydrogen in the interim period, and ready for the return mission.





credits:
This is part text only. See both images, full text and all scientists involved at universetoday.com
www.universetoday.com/2008/03/04/a-one-way-one-person-mission-to-mars/#more-13037
Article credit: Nancy Atkinson

[Andy Mac]

There are people of all mentalities in this world but I think it will be very difficult for any[/u] individual to commit themselves to spending the rest of their life in isolation on Mars; not to speak of the enormous dangers and risks involved and ensuring a plentiful supply of oxygen for someone to survive for years, if not decades there. Also the likes of food & water.

Personally I just don't see it!

[ironmountainman1]

Back when I was a lot younger and the manned space program was getting started I ran across some books my older cousins had on space flight proposals. One of them was in a very similar vein to this idea: volunteer one way voyages to the Moon.
But this was raised as a quick and dirty way of beating the Soviet Union to the Moon.
While it is virtually impossible to predict that somebody from another nation will get to Mars before NASA does, I for one do NOT hold to this notion one bit.
NASA and the bureacrats in Washington should stop beng so
narrow in their thinking and give MASSIVE R&D funds to former
Space Shuttle Orbiter veteran Dr. Franklin Chang Diaz' VASIMR
propulsion system.
And team up with the British Interplanetary Society and breath new life into the Daedalus Concept. At 7% to 12% of the velocity of light that can make interplanetary travel quite feasible
And with full carefully chosen CREWS not single seaters!

[glactus]

If you really want to know, I believe that the "Great Martian Adventure" is going to turn into a space race similar to those events back in the 1960's. Americans are aware that China has it's sights set on getting to Mars before NASA to establish itself as the world's leading super power, and that prospect may not be accepted by the American people.

Being aware that Obama has taken away national pride as far as space exploration is concerned, some Republican senators are just biding their time for Barak to be removed, to get back on track with a drive for Mars.

The sad part of it is that going to Mars presents a golden opportunity to invite all the world's leading powers to go together as one, but in this world of suspicion among politicians, fostering world peace though such a space venture would not be one of their strong points.

[starrdawg]

Thie idea of having China making a manned mission to Mars or anywhere else does not include long term survival, nor a return trip. Life is cheap in the PRC.

The EU will never be in an economic/financial position to waste any of its infrastructures on such a venture on their own, or in concert with their member-states.

The Russians probably could, but I doubt if they have that much interest without some sort of "payback" for participation.

[glactus]

Stardawg wrote_

["The idea of having China making a manned mission to Mars or anywhere else does not include long term survival, nor a return trip. Life is cheap in the PRC."]

I agree, and that is the problem. China is quite capable of crashing their way to Mars for super power status and national pride.

In the next 5 years they will be most aggressive in space with their own station in low Earth orbit, as well as testing a long range vehicle for a specific purpose.

Whether the Americans will let them get away with it is the question.

[starrdawg]

Your giving PRC too much credit as to its "real" capabilities.
They also have a finite limit as to what they can afford, and there is a limit to what the "masses" will tolerate for the sake of "pride".

Once they have human/hardware failures on a regular basis; the "people" will put a stop to the lunatic fringe. There are limits to "national stupidity" after all.

[ironmountainman1]

StrawDawg is right the Red Chinese don't know squat about "man rated" sucessful spaceflight and they aren't learning from their mistakes very well. They NEVER publicize a failed flight, apparently they had nine fatal failures (that was when the d**ned Long March based booster even got off the launch pad without blowing up) before their "taikonaut" made one orbit and came back down immediately. A severe case of space sickness.

A mission ot Mars by them? As Tony Soprano would say
"forgetaboutit!"

[glactus]

You wait and see.


Mars