egkelly,
That is not the cheapest way. I think we should make a huge balloon and fill it with air. A really really big balloon!! We attach a space module to the balloon, point it towards Mars, and untie the back off the balloon. That thing will reach Mars in no time!!
Also, we should get a bunch of those starving people from other countries to make the trip because they can go forever with little to no food. And when they get back, they can get all that money from movie rights, etc. that you proposed. Then they return to the Earth as heroes! And when they bring back all the donuts and sausage to their country, they will probably be made Kings.
Boy I think I have this all worked out.
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*Originally posted by manhattan *
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I think Death Watch would be a pretty good title, too. Just think, if we could get David Hasselhoff to go…
Astronauts get osteoporosis when living without gravity. Their bones would get very weak by the time the trip was over, making a return to earth very very dangerous. The research on drugs to prevent this has not progressed far enough yet to allow long trips without gravity.
[QUOTE Robert Zubrin’s famous and attractive “Mars Direct” architecture puts five humans on Mars after 10 years and $50 billion; I’ve never heard anyone talk about a $100 billion/50 year mission.
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Actally, the proposed Mars Direct Plan would cost less than $20 billion. The NASA refrence mission, which closely parallels the Mars Direct plan, costs $50 billion.
Check out Mars Direct @ http://www.marssociety.org
I’de go! In a heartbeat.
But what about death row prisoners? They’ve got nothing to lose and as long as the food runs out to gain.
Or maybe this: Take a guy (or girl) in prison with life without the possibility of parole hanging over them, Let the have everything they wanted (but in prison) for a year then send them on a "suicide’ mission. Bet it beats solitary confinement!
- Identify large number of potential alien abduction candidates.
- Secretly implant microprocessors in candidates to allow their whereabouts to be monitored.
- Station numerous black-helicopter-equipped MIB rapid reaction teams around country.
- Monitor candidates until one is abducted.
- Upon abduction of candidate, mobilize nearest MIB team to site of abduction. Hide in bushes.
- When candidate is returned, hijack alien spaceship.
- Take joyride to Mars in alien spaceship.
Can’t miss and it’s cheaper than any NASA program. I’m surprised we aren’t doing it already…
No, no prisoners. We don’t want anybody thinking the travelers deserve to die, or it’s a punishment, or anything like that. We want people to be jealous.
Quoth nealbelinsky:
So don’t make the trip without gravity. You put your living quarters on one end of a tether, and everything else on the other end, and spin it. It’s easy. We’re not doing this with the Space Station because we want the free-fall environment there, but a Mars vessel isn’t an end, it’s a means, so there’s no problem with synthetic gravity.