# Would You Take First Trip to Mars ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 25, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860 "2009-01-25T01:42:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/1 "2009-01-25T01:42:48Z")
At best it would take [21 months](http://www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/q2811.html) You have the “right stuff” Yes or no, Why ? Not for me. I like trips and glory, but nine hours(or thereabouts) on a transcontinental flight is long enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/2 "2009-01-25T01:45:27Z")
You would be traveling with a half a ton of human crap and urine. Ugh ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/3 "2009-01-25T01:51:36Z")
Were I 20 years old I’d do it in a heartbeat. I could live in a small enclosed space for long periods, and get along with some assholes who snore and fart and talk too much. I’d have done anything to get into space and another planet. Now? Nope. I like gardening in my yard. Sorry. Space travel for me now will have to comfortable. Oh hell. Honestly, I’d still do it. Six months in a ship - I could do it. Yeah, I probably would. Even if it were likely a one-way trip and I’d probably die, I’d still do it. Die in space? Die on Mars? Die in my bed? I’ll take the former two. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/4 "2009-01-25T01:56:36Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > You would be traveling with a half a ton of human crap and urine. Ugh Hell, I have worked with worse 🙂 I kid, I kid. Hell yes I would. Even if the chance of death was extremely high. Cramped quarters. Crappy food. Nothing to do but look out a window. No problem. Now, if for some reason they told me I’d be cold the whole time. Maybe not. I hate being cold that much. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/5 "2009-01-25T01:57:22Z")
Yes. Immediately. Without hesitation. I have no idea if I’m qualified or not. I bring absolutely no skills to the table, but I could tolerate, with happiness, the 0g, the cramped quarters, the requisite organization, etc. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/6 "2009-01-25T01:58:25Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > You would be traveling with a half a ton of human crap and urine. Ugh Hell if you’re not drinking the urine then that ship is not sufficiently advanced enough to go to Mars. ---
**Author:** ![gravitycrash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@gravitycrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gravitycrash)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/7 "2009-01-25T02:14:11Z")
No internet access for 21 months? What would I masturbate to? A big negative for me. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/8 "2009-01-25T02:23:09Z")
Yup. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/9 "2009-01-25T02:26:20Z")
> [@gravitycrash](#): > > No internet access for 21 months? What would I masturbate to? A big negative for me. You could probably still get access through mission control, but it will get really slow as you get to Mars. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/10 "2009-01-25T02:27:21Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > You could probably still get access through mission control, but it will get really slow as you get to Mars. Not necessarily. The internet could go the same speed, it would just take up to 40 minutes for something to start downloading. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/11 "2009-01-25T02:31:26Z")
I would absolutely do it, no matter what. Even if it were one-way. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/12 "2009-01-25T02:38:51Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I would absolutely do it, no matter what. Even if it were one-way. Yeah, I started to post something about one-way earlier, then started adding caveats, then deleted the whole thing down to ‘yup’. If it was a one way trip with the basics of a colony setup (all that sewage is a great start for a greenhouse), with future ‘add ons’ in the line to slowly build up the colony, then I’d be quite happy to go, even with the first mission. But if it was just me on a one way trip right now, no thanks. I’m not signing up for a suicide mission to die alone on a rock 200 million miles from Earth. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/13 "2009-01-25T02:46:52Z")
No, of course not. Not unless it were my job to establish some kind of colony on Mars, and I would never take such a job because it’s pointless. Why would I want to spend nearly four years of my life–most of which would be utterly boring–doing pretty much nothing to engage in some activity that would yield very little useful research. (We can learn most of what we need to know about Mars by unmanned craft.) I’d rather work on a tuna boat with sea and sun and occasional shore leave, not to mention satellite phone and internet connections. Those who say “yes” have probably just read too much sci-fi. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/14 "2009-01-25T02:50:04Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Those who say “yes” have probably just read too much sci-fi. That’s definitely the ticket. Those of us who do things which aren’t necessary do them because we’ve read too much sci fi. I could see my family through a PC, video cam & microphone. Yet for some reason I still go down there a few times a year to see them face to face. I would go to space just for the sake of going into space, there doesn’t have to be an accompanying reward. One doesn’t need to go to the tropics in order to sit on sand, swim and get a tan. Yet so many still do, every year. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/15 "2009-01-25T03:08:24Z")
Where do I sign up. Dying on Mars is way cooler than dying anywhere else. Being one of the first ones down there should ensure my place in trivial games for the next millennium or two. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/16 "2009-01-25T03:22:50Z")
Heck yes I would. Mainly for the glory. Things done in the name of ‘glory’ never go wrong, right? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/17 "2009-01-25T04:04:58Z")
Not for a suicide mission, but definitely for a two-way trip. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/18 "2009-01-25T04:12:37Z")
In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=364452&highlight=mars) I asked whether people would volunteer for a first mission to Mars assuming that the chance of actually reaching Mars would be only 50% and the chance of coming back to Earth only 25%. Surprisingly enough, quite a lot of posters stated that they would jump on the chance. So, if the mission is reasonably safe I suspect you’re going to be overwhelmed by volunteers. Personally, I won’t even board a plane. Not a chance I would embark on a fucking _spaceship_. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/19 "2009-01-25T04:21:29Z")
Hell no. A day traveling through various airports to get to the other side of Earth is bad enough. I’d go apeshit if I had to spend that much time in a small space. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860/20 "2009-01-25T05:23:52Z")
Yes. I’m not claustrophobic, am pretty happy being away from others, and would love a chance to do some kind of useful research (even if, as said, much of the useful research on Mars is capable of being done by robots, there’s always the chance to do research on the effects on humans, including psychological, of long-term travel and such). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-take-first-trip-to-mars/482860.md?page=2)