Mars Exploration 2: Manned Missions (Concepts; Preparations; etc.)

[GNC]

GNC,

So maybe you could explain what you mean by 'sham'.

All in the interests of science, naturally.

INT21.

The independent mission to populate Mars was revealed to have nowhere near the funds necessary, and the whole thing was a publicity campaign by apparently dodgy dealers. I thought I'd linked to the story about it a few months ago on this thread, but can't find it. Is there another Mars thread?

 

[EnolaGaia]

The independent mission to populate Mars was revealed to have nowhere near the funds necessary, and the whole thing was a publicity campaign by apparently dodgy dealers. I thought I'd linked to the story about it a few months ago on this thread, but can't find it. Is there another Mars thread?

Are you perhaps referring to any of the activities of the Mars Society? There are multiple threads relating to that group's long campaign to promote and prepare for Mars exploration.

 

[INT21]

Funds are going to have to be found eventually regardless of where they come from.

The reason is that in the future we are going to have to find someplace else to go.

And the reason is that, as a race, we are totally incapable of carrying out the acts that are required to sustain our existence on this planet. We are too short sighted.

As a race, humans are doomed to extinction if they can't find some place else to exist. And Mars is the closest option we have of buying time and the technology necessary to move further out into the galaxy.

INT21.

 

[maximus otter]

...we are going to have to find someplace else to go.

...we are totally incapable of carrying out the acts that are required to sustain our existence on this planet. We are too short sighted.

...humans are doomed to extinction...

There are more people on Earth, living longer, healthier and more prosperous lives, than ever before.

Humanity will survive and thrive.

maximus otter

 

[AlchoPwn]

Considering a large percentage of those applying to live on Mars for the rest of their lives are suffering poor mental health, a lot of psychosis among them doesn't seem probable, it seems inevitable.

Does anyone seriously think that populating Mars with mentally ill people is a recipe for success? I doubt Space X does. I suspect most of those applications will wind up relegated. Space X wants people with STEM and social skills.

There are more people on Earth, living longer, healthier and more prosperous lives, than ever before. Humanity will survive and thrive. maximus otter

I mainly share your optimism, but our success to date as a species isn't grounds for complacency. The threats we know about we can adapt to, but there will be threats we haven't got a clue about that await us too. There always are. I think the fact that people are abusing the best tool we have i.e. science, is a sign that things are taking a turn for the stupid. Yeah, that and millenials. They're statistically the smartest generation of humans who have ever lived. I hope in considering that you don't become suicidally depressed M.O. (it makes me wake in a cold sweat in the night occasionally).

 

[ramonmercado]

There are more people on Earth, living longer, healthier and more prosperous lives, than ever before.

Humanity will survive and thrive.

maximus otter

But wouldn't you like to be the first police chief of the Martian Colony?

 

[maximus otter]

But wouldn't you like to be the first police chief of the Martian Colony?

Not after watching Total Recall.

maximus otter

 

[GNC]

Are you perhaps referring to any of the activities of the Mars Society? There are multiple threads relating to that group's long campaign to promote and prepare for Mars exploration.

Yes, that sounds about right, if there was an expose of them a few months ago.

 

[tastyintestines]

Except the most abundant place on earth has a non replacement breeding native population. We are the most adaptable species to our environment by far. We will find a way to do both. Your fear is being used to control and tax. Go spread it for someone else.

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

"We are the most adaptable species to our environment by far. "

Except maybe for tardigrades.
Wonder if they could survive on Mars?

 

[ramonmercado]

Except the most abundant place on earth has a non replacement breeding native population. We are the most adaptable species to our environment by far. We will find a way to do both. Your fear is being used to control and tax. Go spread it for someone else.

I think though we shouldn't put all of our eggs in one basket though. Forward to the Moon, Mars and the resources of the Asteroid Belt! Space exploration is not a waste of money.

 

[ramonmercado]

"We are the most adaptable species to our environment by far. "

Except maybe for tardigrades.
Wonder if they could survive on Mars?

Cats will adapt to Mars. I'll bet there will be cats on the first colony ship.

 

[Mythopoeika]

"We are the most adaptable species to our environment by far. "

Except maybe for tardigrades.
Wonder if they could survive on Mars?

Probably, if they could find something to eat.

 

[Mythopoeika]

I think though we shouldn't put all of our eggs in one basket though. Forward to the Moon, Mars and the resources of the Asteroid Belt! Space exploration is not a waste of money.

Yes.
If a huge asteroid hit, the human race would be wiped out. A colony on Mars would ensure that human life continues.
It also opens the door to unlimited resources.

 

[INT21]

AlchoPwn,

..The threats we know about we can adapt to, ..

But we are not doing that, are we ?

INT21.

 

[ramonmercado]

...Cats will adapt to Mars. I'll bet there will be cats on the first colony ship. ..

What are they going to eat ?

Martian Mice

 

[INT21]

As the cats will need little cat pressure suits I don't see them being very effective.

INT21.

 

[ramonmercado]

As the cats will need little cat pressure suits I don't see them being very effective.

INT21.

 

[INT21]

Orange space suit. Is that the Martian Guantanamo prison garb, or is Tiddles a member of Trump's new space force ?

INT21.

 

[EnolaGaia]

Orange space suit. Is that the Martian Guantanamo prison garb, or is Tiddles a member of Trump's new space force ?

In the Martian context, it's the color of the suit you put on something or somebody whom you don't really care to readily find should it / he / she go missing.

 

[ramonmercado]

Orange space suit. Is that the Martian Guantanamo prison garb, or is Tiddles a member of Trump's new space force ?

INT21.

The Space Force is one of Trump's good ideas! It'll get more people into space and now with the Chinese landing a vehicle on the far side of the Moon, Trump may want to send the Space Force there.

 

[Frasier Buddolph]

I want to put down my marker on the "Mars Colonization" pool. I bet that no-one currently living will see humans land on Mars, because climate change with its attendant social/political destabilization is going to accelerate dramatically in the very near future, and space exploration will move way down the list of our priorities.

Hoping to be proven wrong.

 

[INT21]

..and now with the Chinese landing a vehicle on the far side of the Moon,.

One might wonder why no one else did it .

 

[EnolaGaia]

..and now with the Chinese landing a vehicle on the far side of the Moon,.
One might wonder why no one else did it .

The Soviets and Americans had mapped the far side of the moon from orbit or close passes during the 1960's. One of the American Ranger spacecraft (the ones that gathered and transmitted data while diving into the moon's surface) - Ranger 4 - was supposed to do the dive onto the far side, but it suffered a hardware failure before the final phase of the mission. Since then, a number of lunar orbiters have continued sensor and photographic scanning of the far side.

As to why no one's bothered with a soft landing on the far side until the current Chinese mission ...

The primary issue is communication. Any craft sitting on the far side is blocked by the moon itself from having line-of-sight communications back to earth. This means any data collection from the far side entails either:

(a) a landing plus subsequent take-off to afford communication or physical return to earth, or
(b) the placement of an additional satellite in lunar orbit as a comm relay.

Strategy (b) was proposed in the context of a possible Apollo landing on the far side back in the 1970's, but NASA rejected the idea owing to heightened mission complexity and risks.

On the other hand ... The far side's radio comm blackout condition has long been touted as an advantage if a radio telescope were to be placed there.

 

[tastyintestines]

Tastyintestines,

..Your fear is being used to control and tax. Go spread it for someone else. ..

Not the kind of facts you want to hear ?

Still waiting for your vision of a brave new world.

INT21

It's called NASA and crop yield. Not to difficult to understand. One uses imagination and human ingenuity to get us to space. We have the time and resources to eventually colonize it. The other is how our crop yield has multiplied while the native pop of usa has not due to low birthrate. That solves your trying to control or fear of people out breeding and eating you. simples

 

[Mythopoeika]

I want to put down my marker on the "Mars Colonization" pool. I bet that no-one currently living will see humans land on Mars, because climate change with its attendant social/political destabilization is going to accelerate dramatically in the very near future, and space exploration will move way down the list of our priorities.

Hoping to be proven wrong.

Won't that move Moon & Mars colonisation UP the ladder? The rich and powerful will want to leave if the planet goes tits up.

 

[Frasier Buddolph]

Won't that move Moon & Mars colonisation UP the ladder? The rich and powerful will want to leave if the planet goes tits up.

They may want to leave, but there's nowhere to go. And all of them combined don't have enough money to change that, at least not in the time available.

 

[tastyintestines]

Sorry for the optimism and speck of faith in humanity. There are a lot of books on human ingenuity, endurance, adaptability and inventiveness if you want further evidence. We have other threads that are the proper place for conversations about educating women and lowering birth rates and increased yield leading to less land usage and runoff control thru vegetation, etc..

 

[EnolaGaia]

It appears the for-profit components of Mars One are kaput (bankrupt). It's unclear what's happening with the Mars One Foundation.

Mars One is dead
The company that aimed to put humanity on the red planet has met an unfortunate, but wholly-expected end. Mars One Ventures, the for-profit arm of the Mars One mission was declared bankrupt back in Jaunary, but wasn't reported until a keen-eyed Redditor found the listing. It was the brainchild of Dutch entrepreneur Bas Lansdorp, previously the founder of green energy company Ampyx Power. Lansdorp's aim was to start a company that could colonize one of our nearest neighbors.

Mars One was split into two ventures, the non-profit Mars One Foundation and the for-profit Mars One Ventures. The Swiss-based Ventures AG was declared bankrupt by a Basel court on January 15th and was, at the time, valued at almost $100 million. Mars One Ventures PLC, the UK-registered branch, is listed as a dormant company with less than £20,000 in its accounts.

There is no data available on the non-profit Mars One Foundation, which funded itself by charging its commercial partner licensing fees. Speaking to Engadget, Bas Lansdorp said that the Foundation is still operating, but won't be able to act without further investment. Lansdorp declined to give further comment beyond saying that he was working with other parties "to find a solution." ...

FULL STORY: https://www.engadget.com/2019/02/11/mars-one-is-dead/

 

[blessmycottonsocks]

It appears the for-profit components of Mars One are kaput (bankrupt). It's unclear what's happening with the Mars One Foundation.


FULL STORY: https://www.engadget.com/2019/02/11/mars-one-is-dead/

Further reports of Mars One's demise.
When it's in El Reg, then you know it's true:

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/11/mars_one_closes/