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posted by cmn32480 on Thursday May 28 2015, @05:22AM   Printer-friendly
from the curiosity-will-get-the-best-of-you dept.

Many hopefuls have signed up for a one-way ticket to the red planet. But if they aren't prepared, the trip may be a short one.

NASA has a plan to land astronauts on its surface by the 2030s. Private spaceflight companies like SpaceX have also expressed interest in starting their own colonies there, while the infamous Mars One project has already enlisted civilians for a one-way trip to our planetary neighbor in 2020.

While many may dream of living their remaining days on Mars, those days may be numbered. The Martian environment poses significant challenges to Earth life, and establishing a Mars habitat will require an extraordinary amount of engineering prowess and technological knowhow to ensure the safety of its residents.

Though we may soon have the launch vehicles needed to transport people to Mars, a lot of the technology required to keep astronauts alive on the planet just isn't ready--and it may not be for many years. For those eager to get to Mars as soon as possible, take caution: A number of tragic outcomes await if you head that way too soon.

 
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  • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 28 2015, @06:18AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 28 2015, @06:18AM (#188972)

    great Hollywood movies.
    So it won't matter if they fail.
    The entertainment will be worth the risks.

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  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 28 2015, @07:09AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 28 2015, @07:09AM (#188987)

    makes for such great entertainment, it's a shame it doesn't happen more often in the real world.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by isostatic on Thursday May 28 2015, @09:32AM

    by isostatic (365) on Thursday May 28 2015, @09:32AM (#189020) Journal

    In the 1980s 37 people died in Hollywood from accidents filing. That's more than the number who have died in the space industry since 1957. Hollywood didn't shit down for years at every death though.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 28 2015, @09:51AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 28 2015, @09:51AM (#189025)

      37 people of how many?

      The number of people who died from Polonium ingestion during the last 20 years was significantly lower than the number of people who died from car accidents during the same time. Should I conclude that eating Polonium is safer than driving?

      • (Score: 2) by Zinho on Thursday May 28 2015, @03:36PM

        by Zinho (759) on Thursday May 28 2015, @03:36PM (#189134)

        Reminds me of a joke:

        What's the difference between an American actuary and a Russian actuary?

        The American can tell you how many people will die [soa.org] of Polonium ingestion next year.

        The Russian can tell you their names. [wikipedia.org]

        --
        "Space Exploration is not endless circles in low earth orbit." -Buzz Aldrin
    • (Score: 2) by isostatic on Friday May 29 2015, @09:05AM

      by isostatic (365) on Friday May 29 2015, @09:05AM (#189577) Journal

      It's not about which is safer - if we were concerned about needless deaths we'd ban McDonalds. It's about what is acceptable. I see no reason that deaths in Hollywood are acceptable, but deaths in space aren't.