-
http://www.marssociety.org/
-
I'd have to be pretty unhappy with life here to try to pull something like that.
I can imagine doing a one-way flight without knowing when I was coming back. That is, we're going to schedule flights out and once we have successfully landed, we start trying to come back. I can see making that work.
However, I think you're misunderstanding what they are trying to do.
The big problem is fuel - it takes fuel to lift fuel - so if we have to launch the fuel for the return flight with the rest of the fuel, you start to get one big whopping spaceship (beyond our technical capabilities).
Instead, you try to figure out a way to manufacture fuel on Mars - so you don't have to put it on board Mars bound spaceships.
You'd launch unmanned craft that landed on Mars and started creating fuel and ONLY IF THAT WENT WELL would you launch manned craft Mars-bound. They could then use the manufacturered fuel to return.
It is true that the US had pioneers coming over from Europe with no thought of ever returning - but they were PRECEDED by people who DID return (well, most of them ... ok, SOME of them) who told future explorers that it was possible to live in the Americas and perhaps gave the next crop a clue what would be good to bring along (good idea to have things to sell to the Indians, beaver hunting equipment).
I really doubt anyone wants to land on Mars with no chance of returning and no likelihood of survival there. NASA astronauts take a lot of big risks but they are not suicidal. We have no reason to believe that astronauts from other sizeable/significant programs will be either.
I'm sure there are groups that would do such a suicidal trip given the ability - but it would be very very difficult for them to get the resources required to do so.
Just as well - the last thing we need is Mars littered with the bodies of idiots.
I can imagine doing a one-way flight without knowing when I was coming back. That is, we're going to schedule flights out and once we have successfully landed, we start trying to come back. I can see making that work.
However, I think you're misunderstanding what they are trying to do.
The big problem is fuel - it takes fuel to lift fuel - so if we have to launch the fuel for the return flight with the rest of the fuel, you start to get one big whopping spaceship (beyond our technical capabilities).
Instead, you try to figure out a way to manufacture fuel on Mars - so you don't have to put it on board Mars bound spaceships.
You'd launch unmanned craft that landed on Mars and started creating fuel and ONLY IF THAT WENT WELL would you launch manned craft Mars-bound. They could then use the manufacturered fuel to return.
It is true that the US had pioneers coming over from Europe with no thought of ever returning - but they were PRECEDED by people who DID return (well, most of them ... ok, SOME of them) who told future explorers that it was possible to live in the Americas and perhaps gave the next crop a clue what would be good to bring along (good idea to have things to sell to the Indians, beaver hunting equipment).
I really doubt anyone wants to land on Mars with no chance of returning and no likelihood of survival there. NASA astronauts take a lot of big risks but they are not suicidal. We have no reason to believe that astronauts from other sizeable/significant programs will be either.
I'm sure there are groups that would do such a suicidal trip given the ability - but it would be very very difficult for them to get the resources required to do so.
Just as well - the last thing we need is Mars littered with the bodies of idiots.