# Help! My son decided to do a speech on a manned Mars mission **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 2, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-son-decided-to-do-a-speech-on-a-manned-mars-mission/562607 "2010-12-02T01:04:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-son-decided-to-do-a-speech-on-a-manned-mars-mission/562607/21 "2010-12-03T02:22:33Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > You are being a jerk - this is no different than hanging around the water cooler and talking about a kid’s project. While the OP is free to help his son, this is factually wrong. The water cooler is discussion is just shooting the shit. Here, the OP—admittedly—is doing research for his son. He says that it’s fine in this one instance, and I’m happy to go along with his estimation (while betting that this will not be the only “that one” time). But that’s neither here nor there. More to the point regarding our post, your assessment is plainly, flagrantly incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![Engywook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bc8723/32.png) [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-son-decided-to-do-a-speech-on-a-manned-mars-mission/562607/22 "2010-12-03T05:28:49Z")
There was also an excellent HBO documentary miniseries hosted by Tom Hanks called, I think, _From Earth to Moon_ which systematically explored all of the challenges - engineering, political, etc - from Kennedy’s speech to the first safe return of a manned lunar mission to earth. Not to say that we can connect the same dots and get a half dozen people to Mars and back. But it is a good jumping-off point to understanding, and communicating, the \*\* formidable \*\* challenges of any such enterprise. And also a good comparison in explaining: 1. This we have done before (but is it worth doing again?) 2. These are the new challenges. Surmountable? And worth surrounding? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-son-decided-to-do-a-speech-on-a-manned-mars-mission/562607/23 "2010-12-03T06:06:33Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > While the OP is free to help his son, this is factually wrong. The water cooler is discussion is just shooting the shit. Here, the OP—admittedly—is doing research for his son. He says that it’s fine in this one instance, and I’m happy to go along with his estimation (while betting that this will not be the only “that one” time). But that’s neither here nor there. More to the point regarding our post, your assessment is plainly, flagrantly incorrect. No, you’re being a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-son-decided-to-do-a-speech-on-a-manned-mars-mission/562607/24 "2010-12-03T08:05:14Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > No, you’re being a jerk. Actually, you’re being the jerk. So there. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-son-decided-to-do-a-speech-on-a-manned-mars-mission/562607/25 "2010-12-03T08:15:46Z")
\ Ixnay on the erkjay, guys. Get back to the topic, ok? \ ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-son-decided-to-do-a-speech-on-a-manned-mars-mission/562607/26 "2010-12-03T14:16:37Z")
> [@Engywook](#): > > There was also an excellent HBO documentary miniseries hosted by Tom Hanks called, I think, _From Earth to Moon_ which systematically explored all of the challenges - engineering, political, etc - from Kennedy’s speech to the first safe return of a manned lunar mission to earth. There’s also a six-part documentary series called “Moon Machines” that airs occasionally that went over the engineering challenges. Each ep is devoted to one particular “machine,” and in interviews with the actual engineers, went over what it took to overcome the problems. Similarly, with Mars, there’s a six-part series called “Mars Rising” that deals with the various technical and human challenges that could be expected. Just for starters: You’d have a crew of maybe six in really tight quarters for almost three years. Think about it. And it’s not like you get to take a fresh hot shower everyday. ---
**Author:** ![fireman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@fireman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fireman)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-son-decided-to-do-a-speech-on-a-manned-mars-mission/562607/27 "2010-12-04T00:24:34Z")
There is a good book written by Mary Roach that breaks down spaceflight as pertaining to a Mars mission into chapters, from eating to elimination, and all subjects in between. I can’t recall the title. ---
**Author:** ![StarsApart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@StarsApart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarsApart)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-son-decided-to-do-a-speech-on-a-manned-mars-mission/562607/28 "2010-12-04T18:29:35Z")
> [@fireman](#): > > There is a good book written by Mary Roach that breaks down spaceflight as pertaining to a Mars mission into chapters, from eating to elimination, and all subjects in between. I can’t recall the title. _Packing for Mars_. It does deal with some adult subjects such as sex in space. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-son-decided-to-do-a-speech-on-a-manned-mars-mission/562607.md?page=1)