The ultimate one-way journey

[CHamilton]

Would you leave your family behind to be the first human to set foot on Mars?

Leila Zucker remembers the ping of her inbox that launched her on this quest.
From: Ron Zucker
Subject: I don’t WANT you to...
The name of the organization that could be the first to put humans on the Red Planet is Mars One. “One,” as in, yes, one-way. It will launch people into space, land them on Mars and attempt to keep them alive for the length of their natural lives — but it won’t be bringing them back.
One-way is cheaper, according to the entrepreneur, physicist and physician masterminding the Mars One project. One-way is more technologically feasible. One-way, they believe, can happen in the year 2024.
NASA has no public plans to attempt a human landing on Mars until the 2030s, and even then, it will certainly be NASA astronauts who take the trip.
So what the Dutch not-for-profit endeavor promised was groundbreaking: Anyone could apply. With a decade until takeoff, Mars One founders reasoned that they don’t need the most experienced, educated or credentialed astronauts. They need people — four for the first trip, and four every two years after that — who can psychologically handle spending the rest of their lives with only each other on a planet no human has ever set foot upon.

Since the above article was written, the 100 third-round finalists have been chosen. Leila, who is a friend, is one of them.

I have extremely mixed feelings about the whole project. On the one hand, it is certainly generating interest in space exploration and colonization--something that the human race needs. But sending people on a one-way trip raises significant ethical questions.

 

[neroden]

My fiancee would love to go, but she knew she'd never be accepted (chronic illness with a genetic component!)

 

[crabby_appleton1950]

But sending people on a one-way trip raises significant ethical questions.

Ancient explorers who sailed our ancient oceans may have been on one way journeys. I'm thinking about Phoenicians, etc. Just a thought.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

...sending people on a one-way trip raises significant ethical questions.

Agreed. The method of selection is all wrong.

This should be done using a New England town meeting style format to chose the winners. A few particularly well qualified people (the Kardashians come to mind) should be nominated, and those nominations seconded, if warrented. Then a vote via the interent should be conducted to choose the several candidates needed to 'man' a one way trip to the God of War

How could there be any ethical questions if we follow a democratic process?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Good to see you back Scott, you must have taken a loooooong trip and gotten lost!

Others to consider for the list would include OJ and ALL self appointed jihad warriors among other lunatics.!

 

[Ryan]

Sounds like a perfect job for some telephone sanitizers, hairdressers and management consultants.

 

[rrdude]

I've told people since Apollo 11, if ever given that chance, I'd be the first to sign up.

Once I had kids, I had to re-think it, but would still sign up in a heartbeat. What a journey!

 

[CHamilton]

This video conveys perfectly what my friend and "Mars 100" candidate Leila is like. It's apparently only available on Facebook at the moment.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

It is certainly generating interest in space exploration and colonization--something that the human race needs.

How do you figure?

 

[SarahZ]

There's no way I could do this. What if I didn't get along with the other people? I'm an introvert, so there's no way I could be put somewhere with only three other people. (Talk about pressure to make small talk.)

Plus, I'd miss my cats.

 

[fairviewroad]

Sounds like a perfect job for some telephone sanitizers, hairdressers and management consultants.

In other words, a load of useless bloody loonies!

 

[Ryan]

I'm so glad someone finally picked up on that.

 

[CHamilton]

Sounds like a perfect job for some telephone sanitizers, hairdressers and management consultants.

In other words, a load of useless bloody loonies!

I don't think they're building a B-Ark.

I'm so glad someone finally picked up on that.

Oh, I got it, but Eddie ate my reply.