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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#6E6E6E;background:#F0F0F0'>A central point to<span class=apple-converted-space> </span></span><a href="http://mars-one.com/en/mission/mission-and-vision"><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#CC5646;background:#F0F0F0'>Mars One Mission</span></a><span class=apple-converted-space><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#6E6E6E;background:#F0F0F0'> </span></span><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#6E6E6E;background:#F0F0F0'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#6E6E6E;background:#F0F0F0'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>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:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://mars-one.com/en/mission/mission-and-vision">http://mars-one.com/en/mission/mission-and-vision</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://mars-one.com/en/mission/technology">http://mars-one.com/en/mission/technology</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://mars-one.com/en/mission/is-this-really-possible">http://mars-one.com/en/mission/is-this-really-possible</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>spike<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>