A manned mission to mars

[Friendly Lich]

There has been talk of a manned mission to mars within our lifetime. How do you think the people on board will cope? I think that they may go insane or partially insane because the mission will take two to five years traveling through space in a shuttle. Think about it nothing around you but the dead vacuum of space and the same people confined to a small living quarters. What trials to you think will be the most testing? Discuss.

 

[FalloutJack]

Aside from the obvious problem (going mad from the rigors of space travel) and the general unknowns in what you can't train an astronaut FOR, there is the fact that if anything goes wrong - ANYTHING - they're basically dead unless it is somehow reparable. Listen, when such tales as 2001 or Mission To Mars come across the screen to give you plot-driven problems for the characters to overcome, it's there for your entertainment, but science fiction is there to deliver the terror of "WHAT IF". What if you were alone in space with a computer that wanted to kill you? What if something damaged your ship and made your chances of survival and return either unlikely or impossible? Earth can do NOTHING if ANYTHING goes wrong.

 

[Eddie the head]

Listen, when such tales as 2001 or Mission To Mars come across the screen to give you plot-driven problems for the characters to overcome, it's there for your entertainment, but science fiction is there to deliver the terror of "WHAT IF".

Wasn't mission to mars the movie that had some guy take off his helmet in space and it froze instantly? Yeah, I think we can safely disregard anything that movie said. Alright, alright I guess there is some point to it, but that part completely takes me out of the experience.

 

[Keoul]

I think the most pressing issue would be to get food that lasts that long.
A proper meal everyday for 2-5 years that not only wouldn't spoil, but must be nutritious, and large enough to prevent hunger. Think that'll debunk the scientists more than human emotions, as long as they got company and a monopoly set they'll be fine XD

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I'm sure there will be rigorous psychological preparations made with each crew member individually. I did have a nightmare where I was part of a long distance shuttle mission and a fellow astronaut started cutting everyone up...

Still, if it does happen within my lifetime I will be paying close attention to it.

 

[Jonluw]

If we can send probes, we can send people I figure.
Just load the ship with a couple of laptops and all the porn, tv series and video games you can find.

As for now though, I'd rather like a permanent settlement on the moon.

 

[Guffe]

As for now though, I'd rather like a permanent settlement on the moon.

For me I think that would be a better aim than just getting to and off Mars.
But then again just flying there and then getting back is a lot easier than building an entire colony.
So maybe travelling back and forth a few times first, also a bit longer journeys to the moon (staying there and exploring) and taking our arses to Mars to get better technology etc and then start building?

On Topic:
Problems will be many in many different areas.
Some of which might not even be able to prepare for.
So I hope we get there, I hope everyone that goes comes back safe, but we're heading to unkown destinations so anything can basically go wrong. But I hope it doesn't.

 

[Scrustle]

Spoiler

Aside from the obvious problem (going mad from the rigors of space travel) and the general unknowns in what you can't train an astronaut FOR, there is the fact that if anything goes wrong - ANYTHING - they're basically dead unless it is somehow reparable. Listen, when such tales as 2001 or Mission To Mars come across the screen to give you plot-driven problems for the characters to overcome, it's there for your entertainment, but science fiction is there to deliver the terror of "WHAT IF". What if you were alone in space with a computer that wanted to kill you? What if something damaged your ship and made your chances of survival and return either unlikely or impossible? Earth can do NOTHING if ANYTHING goes wrong.

Ah, I love Ren and Stimpy.

I thought of another "what if" scenario which could fuck things up royally. What if something catastrophic happened on Earth while they were in space? Like nuclear war or some natural disaster which means that they either lose any kind of contact with Earth, or that when they get back they get in to some kind of trouble. They might land in the wrong territory and get killed or something. The entire world as they knew it could be gone.

But I don't think time is really that big of an issue. It obviously is an issue but I'm sure they would send up a lot of things to entertain themselves with. Huge music, TV and movie libraries, games of all sorts, exercise equipment, etc. It's not like they're going to be sitting in that little metal tin for years on end with nothing except their thoughts.

 

[Dr_Pie]

We need to head to the moon first. We still have people up there.

 

[FalloutJack]

-Fallout while they're gone?-

T
You make a valid point. You know, come to think of it, I think The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits have more examined the possible troubles with outer space travel than anybody.

 

[Esotera]

Mentally I think people will be fine, as long as they get a lot of training and are very carefully selected. The thing that makes it pretty hard at the minute is the time and cost of getting to Mars for supplies, meaning if anything suddenly goes wrong with a colony, everyone there is a bit fucked.

 

[Jonluw]

If we can send probes, we can send people I figure.
Just load the ship with a couple of laptops and all the porn, tv series and video games you can find.

As for now though, I'd rather like a permanent settlement on the moon.

thats not a good idea. all that dust charged with radiation...

Ummm... hello?

Moon settlement < Moon settlement + superpowers

 

[Esotera]

A research team have already locked astronauts into a shuttle for 500 days, with conditions similar to those that we would use for a Mars trip. And as far as I'm aware there weren't any psychological issues apart from the subjects getting a bit homesick every now and then, so I think the whole going crazy thing has been over-exaggerated by sci-fi, and isn't based on evidence.

 

[GoAwayVifs]

The question is why go to mars? Yes it is cool walking on another planet and all, but what do we gain? The moon is attractive because of Helium-3, but does mars have?

The first thing is people going to mars is a one way trip. Once you are down on the surface you aren't getting off. Mining for resources is pointless because you have the same problems of getting stuff off the planet. It is much easier to mine in space then on a planet, it has everything we need in relative abundance, and these no pesky gravity getting in the way.

 

[CentralScrtnzr]

Listen, when such tales as 2001 or Mission To Mars come across the screen to give you plot-driven problems for the characters to overcome, it's there for your entertainment, but science fiction is there to deliver the terror of "WHAT IF".

Wasn't mission to mars the movie that had some guy take off his helmet in space and it froze instantly? Yeah, I think we can safely disregard anything that movie said. Alright, alright I guess there is some point to it, but that part completely takes me out of the experience.

The temperature of space is about zero kelvin. That's -273 degrees celcius. Between the massive depressurization and the immediate and violent decrease in temperature, death would be instantaneous.

Glad to see you're so confident in your ignorance.

 

[Phishfood]

If we can send probes, we can send people I figure.
Just load the ship with a couple of laptops and all the porn, tv series and video games you can find.

As for now though, I'd rather like a permanent settlement on the moon.

Probably a better goal. There is a lot of talk about using the moon as a fueling station, since launching stuff into orbit in the first place costs so much.

Especially for a trip to mars it would have to be a big ship. ISS sized or bigger. Likely bigger because of the need for supplies.

 

[BaronUberstein]

Didn't the Russians do a test where they locked some people in a pod for a few years w/ supplies to see how they'd cope mentally?