# High-risk mission to Mars. Do you volounteer? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889 "2006-03-25T21:55:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/21 "2006-03-26T21:14:06Z")
Here’s another crazy who’d be on it like a shot. I been dead once, it ain’t no big thang and I could be dead tomorrow due to infinitely more mundane causes. But dying in space, hells yeah! Inna blaza glory, Mom… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/22 "2006-03-26T21:23:30Z")
I would absolutely volunteer. Ardred and I could be the first couple on Mars. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/23 "2006-03-26T21:34:55Z")
No thanks. I really do not travel well. ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/24 "2006-03-26T21:59:28Z")
I’ll go and I don’t care about the odds. Load me up on that big bad rocketship. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/25 "2006-03-26T22:07:43Z")
I’ll be there with bells on, and since I’ve seen every episode of TOS, and every ST movie with Scotty in it, I know damn well how to reconfabulate the hootermeratis, so not only will we make it there and back, we’ll do it in record time! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/26 "2006-03-26T22:25:47Z")
Five years ago, I’d have said “yes” without a thought. What could be greater? Travel is what I live for, and I’ve been in some seriously dangerous situations travelling on terra firma. When I was a child it was my greatest ambition; I was privileged enough to have lived amongst the astronauts in the early seventies, when my father worked for Mission Control on Skylab. Our next-door-neighbor was a moonwalker. My father applied to be one of the first European Shuttle astronauts (apparently he was only turned down because of his eyesight, which pissed him off since NASA didn’t have such stringent criteria), and at the time I was really enthusiastic for him. But now, having actually thought about _it_ in terms of the human experience, rather than merey what _it_ represents - and as if to confirm my misgivings, having just read the stunning exploration of the dangers and the effects on the psyches of the moonwalkers, [_Moon Dust_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0007155417/sr=8-1/qid=1143411402/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-9719454-1800848?%5Fencoding=UTF8) - I think I’m too much of a pussy. It takes a very very special person to do such a thing; someone with incredible fortitude. Someone who is prepared to risk everything with a tiny amount of reward (according to the book, the moon astronauts only ever got paid their basic salary - they couldn’t even claim travel expenses for 250,000 miles each way), and someone who’s prepared to risk leaving their family with nothing, as life insurance is impossible for astronauts. I am not that person. And I’m glad my dad didn’t qualify for the Shuttle. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/27 "2006-03-26T22:31:26Z")
Hell yeah, A chance to go somewhere no human has ever been? A chance to go down in history without having done something embarressing? I’m pretty happy with 25%. Not only would I go, I’d call dibs once I got there. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/28 "2006-03-27T01:50:00Z")
I’ll get my toothbrush. Seriously – I don’t currently have a job I love, I’m not dating, I don’t have any kids, and the only living beings who depend on me are two cats who can be foisted off on my parents. The serious chance of death wouldn’t deter me. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/29 "2006-03-27T01:54:07Z")
I’m so in. The wife might have something to say about it, but still…the chance to utter immortal words from another planet. The chances for abuse. 😃 ---
**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:** [March 27, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/30 "2006-03-27T04:34:05Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > I’ll be there with bells on, and since I’ve seen every episode of TOS, and every ST movie with Scotty in it, I know damn well how to reconfabulate the hootermeratis, so not only will we make it there and back, we’ll do it in record time! 😃 But **Tuck** , all you have to do is reverse the polarity! ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/31 "2006-03-27T04:44:42Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > But **Tuck** , all you have to do is reverse the polarity! That only works if you’re planning on rerouting things through the deflector dish, and well, only Geordi would do something like that! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/32 "2006-03-27T15:04:12Z")
> [@Earthworm Jim](#): > > Oh man - talk about conflict of interest. > > On the one hand - Space! Mars! Glory! (and Almost Certain Death!). What’s not to love? > > On the other…the Wife And Kids (capitalized to confirm their importance). > > I’d have to wait until all the kids were in their 20s - another 14 years or so. Damn. Guess I’ll be watching it on TV too. This is just what I was thinking. But my lovely wife is the understanding sort, and I think my three boys would be pretty damned proud of me if I went. It’s only three years away, after all (if it isn’t forever)! I agree with **Quartz** that getting some Internet billionaires and corporate sponsors to kick in $$$$ to improve the odds would be a reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal good idea. What the hell… sign me up. This would just be too amazing an opportunity to pass up. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/33 "2006-03-27T15:18:39Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > That only works if you’re planning on rerouting things through the deflector dish, and well, only Geordi would do something like that! And I said… Bounce the graviton particle beam Off the main deflector dish, That’s the way we do it lad, We’re making shit up as we wish… 😃 _goes to root through her mp3 collection now_ ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2006, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/34 "2006-03-27T15:47:06Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > the chance to utter immortal words from another planet “That’s one small step for a man… ooo! it’s all squishy!” ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/35 "2006-03-28T03:28:07Z")
No thanks. I’ll stay here and water your plants. When come back… ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/36 "2006-03-28T03:46:19Z")
The chance of death for us all is 100% anyway. All we are negotiating on is a more likely time and place. I would gladly burn a few probable years to do something that cool. The mission would more than concentrate the life that I have left into something would be willing to gamble on. Irony would be if I got killed by a freak accident the day after they lifted off and they arrived back to earth safely one day. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/37 "2006-03-28T05:44:29Z")
If the WSA would provide enough insurance to provide well for my family; I would volunteer. I could probably be useful. Ex-Navy Electrician, HVAC Mechanic and currently Computer Programmer. Additionally I am an all around handy man. Hopefully my being a lifelong science-fiction fan would be useful. Jim ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/38 "2006-03-28T05:51:53Z")
No question…I’d go in a heart beat. Where do I sign up??? 😛 -XT ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/39 "2006-03-28T12:21:16Z")
I would only go if it paid extremely well and the chances of survival were better. I would hate being locked up in a small box for over year. I almost get anxiety attacks when my normal flight takes more than 8 hours. I would go crazy long, long before we ever reached Mars. Not to forget the terrible food and service. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889/40 "2006-03-28T12:59:04Z")
> [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > I would only go if it paid extremely well and the chances of survival were better. > I would hate being locked up in a small box for over year. > I almost get anxiety attacks when my normal flight takes more than 8 hours. > I would go crazy long, long before we ever reached Mars. > > Not to forget the terrible food and service. 😃 It is not quite the same, you’ll be up and moving around, playing games with other crew members etc. I spent 110 days at sea. I believe it was the record at the time. You go a little crazy, but not completely crazy. Of course I was on a carrier with 5000 other semi-crazies. Jim [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-risk-mission-to-mars-do-you-volounteer/349889.md?page=3)