Conquer Club

Mars 2023: Inhabitants Wanted
Mars One will establish a permanent human settlement on Mars. We invite you to participate by sharing our vision with your friends, and, perhaps, by becoming the next Mars astronaut yourself.

Mars One is a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to establish a human settlement on Mars through the integration of existing, readily available technologies from industry leaders world-wide. Mars One intends to fund this decade-long endeavor by involving the whole world as the audience of an interactive, televised broadcast of every aspect of this mission, from the astronaut selections and their preparations to the arrival on Mars and their lives on the Red Planet.

Juan_Bottom wrote:Mars One intends to fund this decade-long endeavor by involving the whole world as the audience of an interactive, televised broadcast of every aspect of this mission, from the astronaut selections and their preparations to the arrival on Mars and their lives on the Red Planet.

TeeGee wrote:Just saw this on TV here.... wonder what speed internet they will have...

Haggis_McMutton wrote:

Juan_Bottom wrote:Mars One intends to fund this decade-long endeavor by involving the whole world as the audience of an interactive, televised broadcast of every aspect of this mission, from the astronaut selections and their preparations to the arrival on Mars and their lives on the Red Planet.

Not sure how I feel about: Mars: The reality game show

AndyDufresne wrote:

Haggis_McMutton wrote:

Juan_Bottom wrote:Mars One intends to fund this decade-long endeavor by involving the whole world as the audience of an interactive, televised broadcast of every aspect of this mission, from the astronaut selections and their preparations to the arrival on Mars and their lives on the Red Planet.

Not sure how I feel about: Mars: The reality game show

We should probably nominate a few people from the Off Topics.


--Andy

Announced in May, Mars One has an extremely aggressive goal: land a crew of four on the Red Planet by 2023. The company hopes to cut costs with a radical mission. They intend to send people on a one-way trip to set up a colony, with a new set of four settlers arriving every two years after the initial touchdown. Mars One said it intends to pay for the plan by creating “the biggest media spectacle in history” with a reality TV show that will follow the astronauts.

While mentioning that the goal of expanding human civilization is worthy, our experts were not entirely convinced that Mars One’s business model is fully thought through. “It doesn’t strike me as as plausible as the others,” said astronomer Jonathan McDowell.

“I’m not sure there’s enough money out there to fund something as complex and expensive as a human mission to Mars,” said journalist Jeff Foust. “The best I can say is good luck.”

“Going to Mars is 100 times difficult than going to the moon,” said space lawyer Michael Listner. Besides the fact that we don’t currently have the technology to put enough mass for a human mission on the Martian surface, there are many unknowns, including radiation and corrosive dust on Mars and the debilitating effects of long-term space travel, which could deteriorate the astronauts’ bones and eyes. Regulation from Earth governments looking to introduce safety measures could also delay or alter the mission.

Though Mars One estimates their first mission would cost only $6 billion, Listner said the entire plan, including future resupplies and crew, could be on the order of $1 trillion. Funding such a mission through ad sales sounds about as plausible as a Pinky and the Brain plan to take over the world.

“I suspect it wouldn’t be that good for TV,” said Foust. “NASA televises their space activities, and I’m sure almost nobody watches it. It’s mostly tinkering with experiments, replacing an air filter.” Sustaining interest once the novelty wears off could be a major challenge, he added.

Mars One recently converted itself into a nonprofit company, so it will likely have many of the same challenges at something like B612. Though they may be the least likely of the recent private space companies to achieve their goals, “you’ve got to dream big,” said Listner. “And they will certainly inspire a lot of people.”

Bottom line: Mars One has sky-high plans that will most likely struggle to get off the ground.

Haggis_McMutton wrote:

Announced in May, Mars One has an extremely aggressive goal: land a crew of four on the Red Planet by 2023. The company hopes to cut costs with a radical mission. They intend to send people on a one-way trip to set up a colony, with a new set of four settlers arriving every two years after the initial touchdown. Mars One said it intends to pay for the plan by creating “the biggest media spectacle in history” with a reality TV show that will follow the astronauts.

While mentioning that the goal of expanding human civilization is worthy, our experts were not entirely convinced that Mars One’s business model is fully thought through. “It doesn’t strike me as as plausible as the others,” said astronomer Jonathan McDowell.

“I’m not sure there’s enough money out there to fund something as complex and expensive as a human mission to Mars,” said journalist Jeff Foust. “The best I can say is good luck.”

“Going to Mars is 100 times difficult than going to the moon,” said space lawyer Michael Listner. Besides the fact that we don’t currently have the technology to put enough mass for a human mission on the Martian surface, there are many unknowns, including radiation and corrosive dust on Mars and the debilitating effects of long-term space travel, which could deteriorate the astronauts’ bones and eyes. Regulation from Earth governments looking to introduce safety measures could also delay or alter the mission.

Though Mars One estimates their first mission would cost only $6 billion, Listner said the entire plan, including future resupplies and crew, could be on the order of $1 trillion. Funding such a mission through ad sales sounds about as plausible as a Pinky and the Brain plan to take over the world.

“I suspect it wouldn’t be that good for TV,” said Foust. “NASA televises their space activities, and I’m sure almost nobody watches it. It’s mostly tinkering with experiments, replacing an air filter.” Sustaining interest once the novelty wears off could be a major challenge, he added.

Ever seen a government agency turn a profit through television? Not quite sure that NASA TV is comparable to a private sector TV business (although Mars One is non-profit, it's still for profit).

Mars One recently converted itself into a nonprofit company, so it will likely have many of the same challenges at something like B612. Though they may be the least likely of the recent private space companies to achieve their goals, “you’ve got to dream big,” said Listner. “And they will certainly inspire a lot of people.”

Bottom line: Mars One has sky-high plans that will most likely struggle to get off the ground.

Link: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/12/audacious-space-companies-2012/?pid=5747

“Going to Mars is 100 times difficult than going to the moon,” said space lawyer Michael Listner

AndyDufresne wrote:This is a job title I'd like to get. It made me laugh.

“Going to Mars is 100 times difficult than going to the moon,” said space lawyer Michael Listner

--Andy

Juan_Bottom wrote:http://applicants.mars-one.com/

Apply within.

patches70 wrote:I think Juan would be a great candidate to go to Mars! Toss Player and Woodruff in as well. Mets should definitely go too. It'd be an experience of a lifetime. To boldly go where no man has gone before. Hell, look at Woodruffs avatar, he most definitely should be going, Spock would.

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:Why Mars and not the more realistic Moon? It seems to me that in tackling the Moon we'd learn more about colonization and such that could be used for something like Mars later.

-TG

MegaProphet wrote:

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:Why Mars and not the more realistic Moon? It seems to me that in tackling the Moon we'd learn more about colonization and such that could be used for something like Mars later.

-TG

Buzz Aldrin wrote a book about why Mars and not the moon and I think it boiled down to the fact that it'll be easier to establish a base on Mars than on the moon

TeeGee wrote:Just saw this on TV here.... wonder what speed internet they will have...

Haggis_McMutton wrote:My money would be on a space elevator being step 1.

Since it would reduce the cost of taking stuff up to space something like 1000X it would not only make the Moon/Mars colonization much more feasible, but would also completely open up the space tourism market.

Keeping in mind that there are currently people paying millions to go for a little while in orbit, I think a couple more advances in the technology will make the building of a space elevator quite economically feasible. Put a hotel at the top and you're set.

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:Why Mars and not the more realistic Moon? It seems to me that in tackling the Moon we'd learn more about colonization and such that could be used for something like Mars later.

Haggis_McMutton wrote:My money would be on a space elevator being step 1.

Since it would reduce the cost of taking stuff up to space something like 1000X it would not only make the Moon/Mars colonization much more feasible, but would also completely open up the space tourism market.

Keeping in mind that there are currently people paying millions to go for a little while in orbit, I think a couple more advances in the technology will make the building of a space elevator quite economically feasible. Put a hotel at the top and you're set.

2dimes wrote:The fact that it has not returned to the moon probably is due to a reason.