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Would you take a trip to Mars if you could?

Well, would you? (Paid for by someone else.)

Tököl LHTL

No. For a long time I did actually think about becoming an astronaut. University, ph.d., flying, ATPL. When ESA did a selection in the late 1980ies I did not have (all) the required qualifications yet and when they did the next one in 2007 or 8, I was already too old.
But going to Mars? No way. This is the most desolate piece of rock in the whole solar system with temperatures which are on average almost 100 degrees Celsius below my level of comfort. No atmosphere to speak of, radiation levels on the surface which require living in underground habitats (which is not so bad after all because there is nothing to see outside…). And nothing but rocks and dust from horizon to horizon. Add to that a traveling time of at least 6 months each way (I hate long distance flying – everything over two hours bores me to death) in the tiniest of capsules with a dozen other people selected by someone else. No way. Really. (And I don’t even thing about the odds of coming back home alive which are 30 percent at best).

Last Edited by what_next at 15 Oct 17:01
EDDS - Stuttgart

You mean one where you need a lot of diverse skills, may not survive and are still less likely to come back to Earth? Well… YES. Unless something more interesting turns up before departure.

LKBU (near Prague), Czech Republic

Unless things are better on Mars than where I am, why would I go there?

On the subject of astronaut qualifications, a notable ex-astronaut told me that when asked by NASA what unique qualifications he might hold, in the interest of enhancing diversity among astronauts, he told them that he could kill people with his bare hands (he’s also an ex Navy SEAL). Whether because of that comment or in spite of it, he got in. Maybe they were expecting him to meet some unfriendly Martians. He how flies a Great Lakes and seems to enjoy it, having spent something like 160 days in space.

Peter would have appreciated the expression I saw on a couple of over dressed women’s faces when he answered with a blank expression their “so… what do you do?” question, at a party of self impressed people… I think that would be the very best reason to be an astronaut

Last Edited by Silvaire at 15 Oct 17:38

I agree, too far! But the Moon, 3-4 days each way, sign me up!

Tököl LHTL

Silvaire wrote:

Unless things are better on Mars than where I am, why would I go there?

How could things be better on Mars? Althoug it is the only planet known to manking entirely inhabited by robots, there is not a single C-90 on Mars and no Luscombe either :-)

Last Edited by mh at 16 Oct 22:12
mh
Aufwind GmbH
EKPB, Germany

Space? Anytime!! Mars? Not so much. I would jump at any opportunity to get into space (by which I mean orbital or lunar), but I’m not too keen on months on end feeding HAL.

I would go to Mars like a shot. Or at least, I would if my son was a little more grown up (just turned 4). He’d probably join me – he’s watched ‘The Martian’ at least 30 times and my worst faux-pas as a Daddy was to let on that it isn’t real.

I wouldn’t bother about a suborbital trip, or any joy-rides. I’d have to be as wealthy as Bill Gates for the amounts of money they would cost to become meaningless and to splash it all out on a pleasure trip seems self-indulgent. However, colonising Mars seems to me a worthwhile project that I would like to be part of. I went through a period where I was obsessed with books about the Manhattan project and the Apollo missions – the attraction was to read about teams of people working together to push the boundaries of science and technology; to accomplish something great and change the world. Whether it always worked out for the best is debatable but I do envy them the ability to say ‘this is what I was part of, and it was stupendous’.

With just 1% of the air density, the TAS gain on Mars is spectacular. I don’t know how to convert it but an IAS of 100kt is something like 1000kt TAS. That also means you would be landing really fast. I don’t think conventional aviation would thus be possible.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

With just 1% of the air density, the TAS gain on Mars is spectacular. I don’t know how to convert it but an IAS of 100kt is something like 1000kt TAS. That also means you would be landing really fast. I don’t think conventional aviation would thus be possible.

That made me think of that: http://what-if.xkcd.com/30/

LFPL, France
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