When this idea was first put out there and applications were taken both I and my brother sent applications in. Neither of us were serious but we also applied for the most recent round of NASA astronaut applications as well just so we could say we had been been part of the astronaut applicant pool. Some dreams never die.
This particular video interviews several prospective candidates for the Mars 1 project. Its a privately funded effort to land several human beings on Mars for a one way trip. In theory they would then spend the rest of their lives there. The reason for this approach is to reduce cost and make the project potentially feasible. Any vehicle that could lift off and climb out of Mars’ gravity well would have to be pretty large and landing it would be a huge undertaking. A crew module that never has to leave removes a lot of technological and financial hurdles.
A lot of questions arise about what kind of person would be willing to make such a risky one way journey and how a handful of human beings would fare in such an isolated, desolate, and dangerous environment with no hope of every leaving. I doubt this project will ever get off the ground but the video gives some insight into the minds of the type if people who would take on such a challenge.
When this idea was first put out there and applications were taken both I and my brother sent applications in. Neither of us were serious but we also applied for the most recent round of NASA astronaut applications as well just so we could say we had been been part of the astronaut applicant pool. Some dreams never die. https://vimeo.com/119124588 This particular video interviews several prospective candidates for the Mars 1 project. Its a privately funded effort to land several human beings on Mars for a one way trip. In theory they would then spend the rest of their lives there. The reason for this approach is to reduce cost and make the project potentially feasible. Any vehicle that could lift off and climb out of Mars' gravity well would have to be pretty large and landing it would be a huge undertaking. A crew module that never has to leave removes a lot of technological and financial hurdles. A lot of questions arise about what kind of person would be willing to make such a risky one way journey and how a handful of human beings would fare in such an isolated, desolate, and dangerous environment with no hope of every leaving. I doubt this project will ever get off the ground but the video gives some insight into the minds of the type if people who would take on such a challenge.People who have a fatal condition. Lois