Is colonizing Mars a reality or an improbable pipe dream of a couple of mad scientists and a tremendous waste of money?? Again I will take door # 2.
To start with the Red Planet is about 34,000,000 miles from earth and according to the experts will take between 150 – 300 days to get there if all goes well. I love the approximate estimates that the scientist put out there. They are as sure about the mission to Mars as they are about how long it will take to get there.
I wonder if one of the guys that came up with this hair brained scheme is going on the maiden voyage? Doubt it.
I have very little doubt that with today’s technology that they can probably get a space craft to land on Mars. They just landed a space craft on an meteor that was traveling 40,000 miles an hour. I would like to know how that has benefited mankind?
The real question is; will the space travelers to Mars survive the mission in one piece, physically and mentally? I just can’t imagine several people shut up in a space capsule for that amount of time without tearing out each-other’s eyes.
The most intriguing part about this mission, it is a one way ride. No return tickets ill be issued and frequent flyers miles do not apply.
Let us assume that no one kills their other space explorers on the way and they do arrive on Mars in one piece, although I have my doubts about it. Get out the champagne and celebrate. What is next? Do they set up a Pa Pa Johns pizza shop or a bowling alley?
Who in the name of Pluto is Goofy enough to sign up for this trip anyway? If they do make it, the novelty will soon be over and the reality of their foolishness will settle in. Living in a forsaken place like that has to be maddening.
Mankind has real problems here on Earth trying to live in peace and harmony let alone foolishly attempting to make ends meet on Mars. I have always maintained, don’t go where you don’t belong.
Because of the conditions and inhospitable elements on Mars all of the inhabitants will be subjected to walking around 24 /7 (if that is how time is calculated on Mars) with space suit on. I don’t even like wearing a tie.
Wikipedia:
These are the conditions on Mars that exist.
| Habitability factors[12] | |
| Water | · liquid water activity (aw) · Past/future liquid (ice) inventories · Salinity, pH, and Eh of available water |
| Chemical environment | Nutrients: · C, H, N, O, P, S, essential metals, essential micronutrients · Fixed nitrogen · Availability/mineralogy Toxin abundances and lethality: · Heavy metals (e.g., Zn, Ni, Cu, Cr, As, Cd, etc., some essential, but toxic at high levels) · Globally distributed oxidizing soils |
| Energy for metabolism | Solar (surface and near-surface only) Geochemical (subsurface) · Oxidants · Reductants · Redox gradients |
| Conducive physical conditions |
· Temperature · Extreme diurnal temperature fluctuations · Low pressure (Is there a low-pressure threshold for terrestrial anaerobes?) · Strong ultraviolet germicidal irradiation · Galactic cosmic radiation and solar particle events (long-term accumulated effects) · Solar UV-induced volatile oxidants, e.g., O 2–, O–, H2O2, O3 · Climate/variability (geography, seasons, diurnal, and eventually, obliquity variations) · Substrate (soil processes, rock microenvironments, dust composition, shielding) · High CO2 concentrations in the global atmosphere · Transport (aeolian, ground water flow, surface water, glacial) |
With all of these elements to deal with it all sounds like the place any sane tourist would want to go for a relaxing vacation. I will take Miami.
We haven’t even mentioned the lethal possibility of the Mars men that will have to be dealt with. I hope the Earthlings will at the very least pack a couple of 22 pistols to defend themselves.
The estimated cost to for this first manned mission is between 6 billion and 550 billion; another close estimate.
Using those kinds of numbers; if this mission is successful what will it cost to send 1,000 people to Mars; 100 zillion dollars?
Is all of this hypothetical foolish waste of taxpayers’ money necessary? We have so many urgent issues to deal with on Mother Earth that anyone with half a brain or any brains at all would resolve earthly demands before expanding their pipe dreams into outer space.
From my understanding, there is going to be a reality show filming this entire trip and is expected to make a spaceship load of money.
Another issue is; the USA does not want to come in 2nd like they did with the Russians’ being 1st getting a man into outer-space. If that is what it takes to fortify or boost a country’s ego, let the other guy have it.
I say it is all about the bragging rights and that is too heavy of a price to pay to say we were first.
I wonder if these nut cases that signed up for the trip have made out their wills yet? If they need a beneficiary they can leave it to:
Care of:
The Commander and Chief
Po Box – safe on earth, I think!!
The Goomba Gazette 