Sure hope Big Brother isn’t on board!
Talk about the ultimate survivalist experience! If you thought roughing it in the wilderness would be the most challenging test of your survival skills, how about a one-way trip to Mars?
As of May 7, 2013, approximately 78,000 people have registered for the chance to be among the 50 to 100 people who make the first cut in the selection process for this journey into outer space…a journey that pretty much guarantees your final breath will be taken far from Earth.
The non-profit company Mars One is hoping to establish the first colony on Mars by 2023, with one of the goals being to search for past and current life on the red planet. The country with the greatest number of registrants so far is the United States. That doesn’t surprise me. Maybe some of these applicants aren’t too crazy about the way things are going in this country and figure living on Mars can’t be any worse.
Regardless of someone’s reason for wanting to make this type of trip, I find the whole concept fascinating. It proves that mankind’s adventurous spirit is still alive and well. It shows that we’re still seeking new challenges that test our bodies, minds and spirits. I’d still like to spend my remaining years on good old terra firma, but I admire those who are willing to be part of perhaps the greatest adventure of all time…colonizing another planet.
Many of us will probably be too old to be seriously considered for a one-way mission to Mars in 2023, but if you were in your 20s or 30s around that time, is that something you would consider? Are you the type of person who always looks for the ultimate in survivalist experiences? Would the fact that you would never return to Earth be something you could deal with? If it was something you’d apply for, would the state of affairs on our planet be one of the reasons you’d be willing to be a Mars colony pioneer?
I think we can have a lot of fun talking about this subject, so please chime in with your thoughts.
I would be pleased to make a donation for every liberal you can blast off of this dear planet. Mars would be OK but I think sending them into the sun would be better. ;)
To boldly go where no man has gone before!
This was proven a fraud. They didn’t have the money to finance. It was down to the final 100 or 25 when this info came out.
Frankly, I don’t believe in the concept of being too old. I would go in a heart beat regardless of age. Age is limiting plus whose to say someone in their 20s or 30s are better being that an older person has endured many stresses throughout life and is adaptable and capable of handling situations as they arise with experience and wisdom of which younger people have not accrued….
At 68yo, I surely won’t be considered
to be a viable candidate for this greatest of adventures. I would love to go, but I don’t regard the trip to be anything more than an inviting and emotional thought experiment until
much more information and technology have been developed which
support a well thought out decision
to leave Earth behind. Good luck to those who pave the way, but I realize that I don’t have the “juice”, financially or politically, to ensure a seat for myself on that outbound vehicle. Gotta admit that this idea remains, for myself and many others, a tantalizing thought
experiment. As an aside, one must always consider the mental/emotional
effects this momentous decision will have on their family and friends. Just sayin…
I am too old but I sure have a list of those I would recommend starting with our president and the whole bunch, Senate, House, Supreme Court and all those Shadow Government members…..and don’t forget George Soros “Spookey Dude”.
i’M TOO OLD fRANK, BUT IF I WERE YOUNGER AND SINGLE I SURE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE TRIP. JUST BEING PART OF THAT GROUP WOULD BE EXCITING AND ADVENTORUS. I WOULDN’T WORRY ABOUT THE PRES GOING CAUSE HE WOULDN’T MAKE THE CUT. TOO DUMB. COURSE I SURE WOULD LIKE SOME CUTIES CUTIES GOING. THAT WOULD SPICE EVERYTHING UP. KNOW WHAT I MEAN. THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO ADD MY INPUT. jOE
? lol.
And they looked at their reflections in the canal and the Martians looked back at them. — Ray Bradbury
Does this remind anyone of the european colonization of the Americas? Minus the obvious native population of course. New world vs Old world.
What a wonderful idea! Since we continue to destroy this planet, we should get another and start with that one too.
Not.
If these planets could sustain life,don’t you think there would already be life on them?
We won’t know until we get there; maybe not even then.
Seriously, We can’t get along here on this small planet. We have terrorist, hijackers, killers, robbers, felons, all kinds of bad people. We have countries here on earth that challenge our way of life. We have Freedom, yet we have communism, we have pro choice and against pro choice. If you don’t believe the way we do. We will kill you. We can’t get it together here on this world. What makes anybody think we are going to do a good job in another world? Hello!!!! The solution to trash on earth is a big problem. what about health care? We don’t have that under control. We have gun laws. We have unemployment. We have drug wars. We have all kinds of stupidity going on. What makes anybody think we could just pick up and start something new in another planet. Fix Earth first. Fix the hunger problem. Fix the Delinquency problem. Stop making Prisons and give people the opportunity to be productive. Don’t brand people due to some criminal record. Give them a chance to make a difference. Stop the war-ing. Fix people like the Korea dictator Kim-jun-ung. Lets fix Earth first. Why be a virus in another planet. Seriously people.
what makes us think, another planet will make a difference? Americans are falling victims to terrorism now. Look what happened to the movie “The Interview”. Sony pulled it duo to a terrorist threat from Korea. Ja…ja…ja. You want this in the new planet? If we could fix Earth now, we have a good chance of doing something great. Seriously
I can only somewhat agree, Dan, for the evidence you cite is enough for us to despair… however, humankind has not always been this way, nor will it end up as the final expression of human potential. As difficult as it is, we must not feed into the fear, cynicism and despair that is being scientifically engineered to infect the human race in order to control us and our potential as beings of light… now is the time for us to be warriors of light.
Everything that the world is experiencing today is being scientifically created by the dark forces that have grasped our planet… this is about their time to be brought into the light… that means we have agreed to take on their suffering (and make no mistake it is Real suffering, i.e., they are cut off from the Source that has created them… but I digress). If we despair, if we accept their version of humanity, then we become that. Please find your own strength to lovingly destroy these evil bastards…
All that being said, you are completely right: we need to get our proverbial shit together before we even have a right to go to another planet.
Well said.
The elites, obviously, don’t share your concerns. How likely is it that any other
than they will be on the outbound
vehicle(s)? You need to wake up and get rid of your rose colored glasses. In the meantime, your “fix the planet first” hippie type ideas will never be allowed to come to fruition unless it is to the advantage of the elites to do so.
You need only to read history to prove to yourself the sheer folly of your hippie type ideas being actualized in the real world. Sorry to be so cynical, but you need to wake up.
Thank you. Earth was given to us. We, the people, are destroying it. So many problems which will never be taken care because of who is in control. There is no way to Mars because no one has ever been to the moon.
First explore, then colonize. We should send a manned mission to Mars to do some initial exploring, with a ticket back home. After that one can more realistically talk/plan about colonizing Mars. Some earth plants should be taken for food, oxygen, and for the psychological boost of seeing greenery.
I wrote a term paper about possibly colonizing Venus back in the 11th grade!
The reason you probably got an F is due to the fact, among so many others, that humans cannot survive the temperatures prevalent on Venus. If I were you, I wouldn’t advertise the fact
that you wrote the paper, as it calls your judgement into serious question.
As a thought experiment, OK. Otherwise….. Just sayin’……
While I have always dreamed of living in Outer Space. Whether a Moon colony, Mars colony or simply a colony floating out in space… I am not certain that we have the technology nor the resources to support such an endeavor at this time.
Think we should focus on colonizing the Moon first and expanding outward from there. It would be our best first option and easiest one to accomplish.
I’m personally too old but if I wasn’t, I’d register. I am still an explorer and believe that would put on the map as a space faring civilization.
Let’s just hope the effort is more dedicated than L5 by 1995 was…I’ve been a doubter ever since then.
Everybody knows that. Do you have any new ideas; ones that haven’t been
written and known for years? It’s something you might consider doing.
I”ll go along with griffinaero, the moon is a much better choice. The big problems with Mars is it’s distance from the sun. It is near, if not past, the point where, even if you had an oxygen atmosphere, whee you could grow food, That is the first requirement – you gotta have food. It would be hard on the moon because you would need to get some sunlight down into the underground living areas in order to grow food but it is possible even if improbable.
You have no heat problem on the moon but you will always be cold on Mars.
griffenaero listed several other reasons for the moon being a better choice.
I’m to old to go either place. At 83 I probably wouldn’t make it to the moon much less Mars.
Well actually when you are on the side of the moon opposite the sun, the temperatures with NO ATMOSPHERE to speak of are VERY COLD!
In fact minus 153 C or minus 243 F.
And the opposite is true very high temperatures on sunlit side ranging to 253 F or 123 C.
So I really do not understand your comment about no problems with temperature???
:)
Charles
They are going to need water and wastewater professionals and people in their 20’s have no clue.
I don’t think we can lump them altogether. And of course the selection will not be random. They will be taking people needed to colonize, grow food, engineer water availability and recycling, etc.
Perhaps freezing vary large cubs of water with metal mesh imbedded, so that a type of rail gun could be developed so that they could be shot into low earth orbit then picked up and shot once again from yet another rail gun at mars this way we could lower the level of the earths oceans and provide enough water to establish a small ocean yet again on mars the plankton could be established to start converting the CO2 to O2 over time. The main problem is with restarting Mars inter core there would need to be an infusion of radioactive elements to reignite the heat of the core to get the core to be molten and reestablish the magnetosphere to protect from the Sun’s solar flares. The atmosphere would begin to buildup without having the gases blown away by the solar winds and solar flares. Then the air pressure would begin to build up over time and we would then be able to colonize the planet yet once again.
Who is to say from which we came perhaps we are the descendants of mars perhaps some of are oceans came from mars and now it is time to return.
Just for fun.
Two of the most major, and most insurmountable problems with regard to your premise are: a) there
Is no technology in existence at this time which allows us to drill a hole to the center of our own planet, much less transferring enough drilling equipment to Mars to do so there, and b) you don’t seem to realize how much water would need to
be transferred to Mars in order to actualize the “ocean” of which you speak. By virtue of the nature of space (gravitational fields, lack of an ozone layer, etc.) any surface water will evaporate into space in relatively short order. I seriously doubt that creation of a subsurface
ocean is possible, much less feasible. If you’ve got these problems figured out, and solved, please get in touch with NASA. If not,
Keep dreaming until you do. Dreams are good.
Mars…no thanks. Earth is my home and don’t care to go anywhere else. What are people going to do, colonize there and ruin it like man has done here? Nope, human nature is still within man and until man learns to love and obey God, he’s going to have a hard time anywhere. But, God does have a plan for us and it will be so much better than escaping to another planet.
I hope the powers that be will see fit to
confine the human race to this planet. Unless there occurs a quantum uplift in consciousness on a worldwide basis, I don’t feel we have any right to migrate to, and subsequently trash, another planet. Good luck to the cosmos if we do gain access without
the maturity to handle ourselves responsibly. Doubt we will. All things are possible; some things are more likely to happen than are others. Here we go…..
Right now “all our eggs are in one basket”. Should a global catastrophe such as an asteroid impact, supervolcano eruption, plague, or other worldwide event occur, civilization will perish, mankind would possibly become extinct. Establishing a self-supporting colony outside Earth insures the survival of our species. After the dust settles repopulation of the Earth would be possible. Clearly the establishment of such a thing is important, as more and more objects threatening the planet are being discovered every day.
There are three options for this: An Earth-orbiting space station of huge size, a huge habitat on the Moon, or a huge habitat on Mars.
I don’t understand why all this urge to go to Mars. It is nowhere near as promising as the Moon. Consider the following:
The Moon is obviously the best place to start. It is rich in all the most important resources that we’ll need for the construction of anything outside Earth.
It is close enough to use effectively and without an atmosphere prefabricated parts can be launched to targeted places like Earth orbit, deep space Lagrangian points, or Mars orbit itself using solar powered magnetic rails up convenient crater walls. (With its poisonous atmosphere, Mars won’t allow this).
To try to assemble a sufficient Earth-orbiting habitat using Earth materials will be impossibly expensive; with the atmosphere and gravity hole to overcome such an idea is beyond consideration. So much for THAT option.
Likewise a Mars endeavor presents similar difficulties to get enough stuff there for use in building a sufficient habitat. Mars materials can be utilized once on the surface but the useless atm osphere will just impede things. There will be no practical return of investment from Mars because anything going OUT has to be lifted by rockets.
The Moon, on the other hand, can sling valuable resources such as titanium and tritium across to earth effortlessly.
A shopping mall like habitat should be built underground using a suitable crater or rille. The overburden of lunar soil will provide the back pressure to make the atmosphere inside easy and also protect it from radiation and meteor strikes. Actually, an inflatable building might suffice for starters, hardening the walls and ceiling as the overburden is pushed on. there is NO sense in the surface pods and habitats so generally shown.
I myself am 46 and love to be one of the first I really have no one to hold me here and is been a dream of mine. did my time for country 20 yr vet its time to see what is out there don’t think I meet the age requirement but if I could I definitely would a chance to start a new I am not afraid of hard work
I have Dreamed of going to MARS since I first saw Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon. That being said, I know I’m beyond the cutoff age to go on this trip, but I wish the future Travelers all the best! It will, indeed, be a BRAVE NEW WORLD, and there will be SO MUCH to Learn, Do, and See there.
What a wonderful thing to have said. Ditto that thought.
Going to Mars first problem at it’s closest point to Earth it would take six months to reach it with present technology next problem living on Mars means constant exposure to solar radiation there no atmosphere to shield you .If you get sick there no drug store and if you try to grow food you need water good soil and hopefully the radiation doesn’t effect it.It’s a great idea but at our present technology it would be fatal. and the cost would. be huge so only the rich would be able to afford it and if you are rich why would want to leave because money up there is useless !
I am a stargazer, astronomer and currently working toward my degree in astrophysics. Being a bit of a dreamer and horribly intrigued by the unknown drives me to do what I do. So many questions, so many answers to get and I would love to be a part of it. However, I have a family here and to leave them would be selfish nor would I want to. The concept however of being advanced enough to make this happen is the dream of most folks in my field, I’m no different. It would be the most scientifically advanced undertaking and more so probably the biggest budget any one project has ever seen in the history of our planet.
Sadly the nuclear reactor in our sun will die, they all do. Once its out of hydrogen, its going to swell into a red giant and once the internal pressures are no longer strong enough to equalize the force of gravity, then gravity will win and crush our star. This happens all over our galaxy, so at the end of the day whats it all for any way….well our planet will run out of resources before our wonderful little star dies, which means we will have to look to the stars for help, might as well start now :-)
Seriously though, I’ll be very proud of those who make the journey and to be part of the age of individuals who was able to see this come to fruition.
Everyone is not seeing to whole picture. The perfect plan, send the whole government to Mars. They can’t fix nothing here anymore. Go screw up Mars. Then we can get our country back the way it should be.
Mars would be a horrible place to camp! There isn’t any oxygen, water, plants, animals, or beer. Don’t go unless you have less than a year to live and a suicide pill. I can only stand three days of camping in the high desert of Texas before going crazy.
Selection of the first wave of Mars explorers/settlers would have to be based on needed skills/education with some redundancy, exceptional good health and stamina, and personality traits which would provide a good mix. I could go on and on. It will not be an easy task but can be done. Good luck to them all!
If I were younger I would sign up to go. My willingness to do this has nothing to do with the state of affairs in this country or being a Patriot. I would go for the challenge and adventure of opening up a new world. It has been a long time since we had real explorers who went off to places unknown where they would have to rely on themselves because they were too far from “civilization.
If this trip is ever tried I doubt the government will have anything to do with it. We need private companies to finance this endevour and to build the ship and the “homes” we would live in on Mars. It would be too expensive for the government to be involved.
When they are picking the people to go they need to make sure their number one reason for wanting to go is the desire to find new places. Running away from human society on Earth is not a good reason.
It doesn’t matter that it’s too expensive for the government. They won’t want to miss out and will try to pass laws that say only military personnel can go, or that all produce of Mars is property of the government or some other way to regulate and profit off of Mars. They’ll figure out a way to butt in and eventually make it another giant boondoggle and ruin it for everyone!
If there was oil we would already be there
I would not consider a trip to Mars or any place but
Earth…I live in the Smoky Mountains TN., Dogwood and Redbuds are in bloom, the grass and trees are greening up. Why in the world would I want to live in a desert kind of place in a dome hut and nothing looks alive. Most of our ancestors (pioneers) came to this new land “American” for a better life than where they came from. American has/had all the raw materials to create a good life. Still can be that way if We The People put God first and follow the Constitution and Bill of Rights as Americans get back on track and maybe not want to run off to another planet. You know the saying “The Grass isn’t always Greener”
Most people who think they would do well living on Mars have seen Total Recall too many times. I’ve climbed in the Andes above 10k feet. There are no trees, bushes, grass, moss, bugs or humidity. After two weeks we came down. The first little shrub we saw made us so happy we danced around it. Mars would drive most people to murder and suicide within two months.
I am a healthy mature man who is self reliant, but I’m sure there is no chance I’d be considered even if I applied. I have a family history of men being healthy into their 90’s, but it is unlikely that anyone that will be over 35 years old at launch time would be considered.
If I was younger I might actually think about it.
If I have to leave this planet then I want to be going to Heaven. Planet Mars would be a cool trip but the one to Heaven is a lot quicker and once there, all necessities would be taken care of. On top of that, we could finally get the truth about life. Definitely better than a trip to Mars in my opinion.
one thing to remember , the people that go is who you will be stuck with like them or not ! it will be hard for that many to agree on the way things should be done . just a thought ha
I don’t think that I would enjoy living at our south pole.
Mars would be more severe.
If I were younger, I might go there. Because of the way the United States is being handled, I
would like to to another country but can’t afford to go anywhere else. I think Jesus is coming
back soon. I am counting on hime coming to get me.
I think this is interesting. if we could go and come back right now, it would be fun to see.
I too wish I was younger. I am 67 and the trip would probably kill me.
I just hope when they do something like this, that it is Gods will. And hope they arrive safely and with the where with all to survive.
Human evolution here on Earth would not allow the human organism to survive on another planet. For millions of years our anatomy, physiology and biology have progressed under the natural resonances, frequencies, vibrations of the Earth itself.
One example is the Schumann resonance….the “song” between the Earth and the ionosphere…a mere electromagnetic frequency but it is so important for the human organism’s survival that NASA has to build artificial Schumann resonators and include them on all spacecraft such as the shuttle, space station etc.
For the human to thin they can go to another planet and colonize is ludicrous…especially when the survival of the human organism has to depend on a government built piece of electronics….
Mars colonized by humans in our present state of evolution is a science fiction and pure fantasy…an organism must develop on the planet on which it will ultimately exist….
Anyway, I would not think any Patriots would consider going to another planet to avoid the crap that is happening here on Earth now…I would think if one is a true Patriot then they would stay, stand up and fight for what’s right instead of turning tail and running….
That brings up another point….the people who are leaving the US for Belize and other destinations are nothing more than cowards and should never be allowed to step foot back in this country ever! They are cowards and should be treated as traitors…..and should suffer all the ramifications that implies…..
Well, considering the comment made about Schumann resonance, and ‘evolution,’ I’ll ‘chime’ in.
First off, we are not blind products of chance – Mankind (Adamic Mankind) was created for this planet, and this world, alone. Secondly, this whole scenario sounds eerily reminiscent of a dystopian future novel I read, called ‘Hold Back this Day by Ward Kendall.
I think that, before anyone starts contemplating colonizing Mars, we look at our problems full in the face, by reading this novel, and seeing how we can change this ‘island earth’ for the better, instead.
Deo Volente!
Frank D.
Here is a little something about Schumann resonance detected on Mars.
In the case of Mars there have been terrestrial observations of radio emission spectra that have been associated with Schumann resonances. The reported radio emissions are not of the primary electromagnetic Schumann modes, but rather of secondary modulations of the nonthermal microwave emissions from the planet at approximately the expected Schumann frequencies, and have not been independently confirmed to be associated with lightning activity on Mars. There is the possibility that future lander missions could carry in situ instrumentation to perform the necessary measurements. Theoretical studies are primarily directed to parameterizing the problem for future planetary explorers.
Detection of lightning activity on Mars has been reported by Ruf et al. [2009]. The evidence is indirect and in the form of modulations of the nonthermal microwave spectrum at approximately the expected Schumann resonance frequencies. It has not been independently confirmed that these are associated with electrical discharges on Mars. In the event confirmation is made by direct, in situ observations, it would verify the suggestion of the possibility of charge separation and lightning strokes in the Martian dust storms made by Eden and Vonnegut [1973] and Renno et al. [2003]. Martian global resonances were modeled by Sukhorukov [1991], Pechony and Price [2004] and Molina-Cuberos et al. [2006]. The results of the three studies are somewhat different, but it seems that at least the first two Schumann resonance modes should be detectable. Evidence of the first three Schumann resonance modes is present in the spectra of radio emission from the lightning detected in Martian dust storms.
So your thoughts about the Schumann resonance effect on human beings as a hindrance to colonialize Mars just went out the window.
If mankind decides to live on distant planets; then I would call them explores not cowards or traitors. It takes a special kind of person to gamble on his/her life to move, one way, to a new world and start a new life. What would happen if Columbus didn’t go west to seek the a new trade route to India in 1492? What about the people of the Old World that boarded a ship to the New World in the early 1600’s. Were these people cowards or traitors? No. They were explorers.
So, if potential explorers wish to venture into the brave new world of colonizing Mars; I just hope that they think long and hard about what they are leaving behind and what they have to look forward to besides having their names in the history books. After all it is a one way ticket to the planet Mars.
Now Why didn’t they do this when I was much younger. I would go in a flash, but at 68 all I can do is make sure the technology works properly. You guys need tech help then I can help. Call me
I have it on a good source that the IRS will be sending an agent alone, too. They already have hoards of them in Hell keeping tabs. You can’t escape the taxman wherever you go!
why are “Patriots” so bound by time? Haven’t you discovered the fountain of youth yet? or invented your “time machine”? It’s all possible now. It’s up to YOU to believe it.
I would have too many questions and want too many quarantees before I just hopped on an sts to Mars. I’m sure after all my questions and need for quarantees, I would not be picked anyway. One of my quarantees would be that our colony would get the things that NASA didn’t think of and that we would need on Mars or things we couldn’t fit in our space ship. Another quarantee would be timely delivery of those supplies. I would want our first colonization on Mars to be a success, because if it wasn’t, I doubt if anyone would try again for a very long time. Inconclusion, I would want a lot of input from many survivalists and because this would be a top secret mission I doubt our Government would want many people to know about it. So no I wouldn’t go.
Where would we be if OUR forefathers hadn’t put it all on the line????
It takes a lot of Hutspah, but so did their adventure.!!!!!
At 70 yrs old I’m sure I couldn’t qualify for the trip, but if I could I’d go in a minute. Not be able to come back??? So what. The original colonists knew they’d not likely be coming back to Europe either. Frankly it’s not so much the condition of things in the US that would drive my decision, if I thought there was a chance of staying here and correcting things I’d do that, but I believe that society has progressed too far towards the “47%’s” here for there to be any real chance of success in that endeavor. Let me go “outward” and colonize Mars, mine the asteroids, whatever man can think of, we have to go if man is ever going to survive in the long haul.
Now, YOU have the true spirit of the pioneer/adventurer, Anthony. I’m with you all the way. Unhappily, I also am too old for this dream and feel cheated to have missed seeing it come true.
I would take that chance. After all, that is what life is about to explore, experience and have the courage, fortitude, and presistence to keep trying to be alive.
Would a well conditioned 75 year old be a good prospect? I’m packing a lot of titanium part inside me that would definitely lighten the payload and it would be nice to be one of the first “earthlings” to step foot on Mars (even though I know that we have been there for well over 20 years now…thank you NASA…). Also, since I want to be cremated when I finally kick the bucket, it would be nice to know that my ashes would be scattered on a nice windy and already dusty planet making a great contribution to somebody’s vegetable garden…smile…
you and me both
Where do I sign up. That would be the trip of a life time.