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Ed Regis writes in the New York Times that today we an witnessing an outburst of enthusiasm over the literally outlandish notion that in the relatively near future, some of us are going to be living, working, thriving and dying on Mars. But unfortunately Mars mania reflects an excessively optimistic view of what it actually takes to travel to and live on Mars, papering over many of the harsh realities and bitter truths that underlie the dream. "First, there is the tedious business of getting there. Using current technology and conventional chemical rockets, a trip to Mars would be a grueling, eight- to nine-month-long nightmare for the crew," writes Regis. "Tears, sweat, urine and perhaps even solid waste will be recycled, your personal space is reduced to the size of an SUV., and you and your crewmates are floating around sideways, upside down and at other nauseating angles." According to Regis every source of interpersonal conflict, and emotional and psychological stress that we experience in ordinary, day-to-day life on Earth will be magnified exponentially by restriction to a tiny, hermetically sealed, pressure-cooker capsule hurtling through deep space and to top it off, despite these constraints, the crew must operate within an exceptionally slim margin of error with continuous threats of equipment failures, computer malfunctions, power interruptions and software glitches.
But getting there is the easy part says Regis. "Mars is a dead, cold, barren planet on which no living thing is known to have evolved, and which harbors no breathable air or oxygen, no liquid water and no sources of food, nor conditions favorable for producing any. For these and other reasons it would be accurate to call Mars a veritable hell for living things, were it not for the fact that the planet's average surface temperature is minus 81 degrees Fahrenheit." These are only a few of the many serious challenges that must be overcome before anyone can put human beings on Mars and expect them to live for more than five minutes says Regis. "The notion that we can start colonizing Mars within the next 10 years or so is an overoptimistic, delusory idea that falls just short of being a joke."
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday September 22 2015, @11:41AM
Why not build the base for the humans using robots, before the humans get there? That way, you can make sure everything is ready and working, that hydroponic farms are functional, etc. before you arrive. That takes at least part of the risk for humans out.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by WizardFusion on Tuesday September 22 2015, @11:58AM
While a good idea in theory, we don't have the technology in robots that can achieve this.
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Tuesday September 22 2015, @10:35PM
While a good idea in theory, we don't have the technology in robots that can achieve this.
Bob Zubrin [wikipedia.org] says we had the technology [wikipedia.org] fifteen years ago. His experience and knowledge in the areas of propulsion and space exploration make me think he might have a point.
That said, a "There And Back Again" (with apologies to the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien) reconnoiter over two or three years isn't colonization, but it's better than a sharp stick in the eye IMHO.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday September 22 2015, @02:07PM
Awww, man, why be a party pooper? Some of us LIKE risk!
Snark aside, that's not a bad plan, but there is little reason to believe that the robots can accomplish such a large mission without some immediate supervision. Fifty robots and a half dozen people sounds about right to set up a base. Other people can follow, knowing that the hard part has already been done.
Face it, people WILL DIE in the attempt to colonize. They'll have some nice plaques erected, so that later generations can remember their sacrifices. Kinda like the tourist traps all around our nation today.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday September 22 2015, @05:38PM
The cost to actually make it to Mars is Huge. The cost to support 6 to 12 people for the rest of their natural lives on Mars would be even larger. Would we be sending male and female astronauts? Would we want them to have the ability to procreate? How would we / they control that, if they are functioning normally? Would the "Colony" be able to support additional non-contributing members? Would the child have a decent chance of being born healthy / alive? These are just the small questions, that could be easily ironed out.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 22 2015, @03:31PM
Send human slaves implanted with computer chips they cannot remove themselves. Make them develop the infrastructure needed for the masters to live in. If they do not obey orders, send a signal to the chips which would deliver a strong electric shock. If no signal is received by the chip for a certain amount of time, the electric shock is delivered. This is to stop them from surrounding their perimeter with a faraday cage to stop communications with the masters. Make them install cameras and other sensors around the area and monitor those cameras and sensors remotely. When everything is built and the place becomes sustainable, kill the slaves by delivering a lethal shock, and then evacuate the air from the room or place they are in to stop their bodies from decomposing. Now the place is thriving with plant life and ready to be colonized.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday September 23 2015, @05:03AM
I have a vision of the robot(s) in question getting 95% of the way done before segfaulting with a condition that requires somebody to go and reboot them manually anyway.
The more you know about computer science, the less faith you have in it (and the more you wonder how our entire electronic infrastructure hasn't broken on any given day already).
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"