[ExI] Reality TV on Mars

[Adrian Tymes]

On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 5:45 AM, Dan <dan_ust at yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Wednesday, June 6, 2012 8:19 AM The Avantguardian <avantguardian2020 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Came across this site. This sounds better than "The Hunger Games"
>> only its not fiction (at least I hope not):
>>
>> http://mars-one.com/
>
> If they're serious, that's a rather optimistic timeline, don't you think?

They ignore the little matter of how to get it funded - and why
people would want to fund it.  General enthusiasm for all things
space only goes so far; at some point, there needs to be an
economic return if the colony is to become self-sufficient (and
if that's not the plan, it's a non-starter - as a colony, as opposed
to something like the ISS).

Further, astronaut selection in 2013 - over a decade ahead of
when the astronauts will actually be needed - is likely to be their
downfall.  At that point, it becomes about These Chosen Few,
and public support crashes.  Though perhaps that's a deliberate
decision, intended to test that failure mode.  (Bad idea: if almost
everything else was in place and then they chose their crew, not
as much further support would be needed to actually place the
astronauts on Mars.)