[ExI] mars again: one way trip to mars has over 1000 volunteers

[spike]

You guys may remember a few years ago when I commented that I had done the
weight calculations a hundred different ways and had concluded every time
that any human landing on Mars would be a one-way trip.  I received more
flack about that than anything I have posted here, more than the sex lamas,
more than any silliness, and I meant it: the weight requirements to land and
return is too high.  Even Robert Zubrin's idea didn't convince me.

 

Now this outfit called Mars-One came to the same conclusion, and is actually
proposing a one-way trip to Mars for humans.  Looking at their mission
roadmap, I noticed immediately their lander wasn't capable of a return
flight.  You have to dig to find it, but the comment is buried in the third
level:

 

A central point to  <http://mars-one.com/en/mission/mission-and-vision> Mars
One Mission is the emigration of the human astronauts. Mars becomes their
new home, where they will live and work for what will likely be the
remainder of their lives.

 

This was to me an indication they had done the math carefully and had
reached the same conclusion I did.  This isn't like a pumped-up version of
the Apollo landings on the moon.  You are dropping into a far deeper gravity
well, one which is way farther out.  Check it:

 

http://mars-one.com/en/mission/mission-and-vision

 

http://mars-one.com/en/mission/technology

 

http://mars-one.com/en/mission/is-this-really-possible

 

spike

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