A manned mission to mars

[Cowabungaa]

A part of Curiosity's mission is actually to start collecting data to prepare for a manned mission to Mars so it might be closer than you think.

As for challenges, obviously for us people it's indeed the psychological one. Luckily they've been researching that for years already. Other than that we have to fear radiation a lot but overall I'd say we're getting pretty close.

 

[spartan231490]

Humanity made these things called video games, movies, and books, they'll be fine. Seriously, let them each bring one box of media, hell zombies alone would probably entertain them at least 3 years.

 

[Jonluw]

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.

I can't cite a source at the moment, but I recall having read that the lack of pressure in space won't actually have you die at once, though you'll experience some swelling and perhaps sustain some damage.

As for the temperature: space is pretty much a vaccum. There are no particles there to rob you of your body heat, so you won't freeze to death.
Radiation is a more realisitic concern. Space is packed with the shit, and it can boil you alive.

 

[Da Orky Man]

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.

Well, first it's about 9 months, not 2-5 years, and second, that part of it has alrready been simulated with real people:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MARS-500

So no, they won't go crazy.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

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.

This is an interesting paradox, you see. Though space is effectively frozen, there is incredibly little to transfer the heat to. You know how cold water feels immensely colder than air of the same temperature? That's because it relies on convection primarily. The more mass to transfer your heat into, the quicker it acts. Space being a vacuum, there is close to nothing to transfer heat to by convection. This limits heat transfer to radiation, a much slower method. In fact, overheating is a far greater problem than freezing. You may have seen the ISS, covered in radiators (which, while similar looking to the solar panels, are critical for its thermal control). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_Active_Thermal_Control_System

So, the astronaut wouldn't freeze instantly.

The depressurization is the other part. While your blood would boil if exposed to a vacuum, your blood would not exposed to a vacuum. It is contained within your highly elastic arteries and veins, which keeps the pressure reasonable. It can and will cause a massive case of the bends, meaning serious injury or death, it still isn't instant. I'd be more worried about the possibility of lung damage. The rapid depressurization would explode the air out of you very quickly, with a strong chance of hemorrhaging the lung tissue.

It turns out, also, we do not have to speculate on this. There have been instances where people have been exposed to vacuum (albeit on Earth by accident) who have survived. I'm afraid I have to go right now, but here's more on the effects of vacuum. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum#Effects_on_humans_and_animals

 

[Da Orky Man]

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.

No it isn't. Space is essentially a vacuum, and heat is a property of matter; therefore, space has no temperature. The only way to cool is through radiation, and that's a very, VERy slow way to do it. No, if you kept your helmet on, you'd be mostly fine. Sure, your body will expand to about twice it's size, but your skin is both strong and airproof. So no boiling blood, because its not in a vacuum at all.

 

[GoAwayVifs]

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.

Space is only that cold in the deepest darkest parts of space. Further well it is cold space is an excellent insulator, so you really won't be losing much of your body heat. Any freezing effects would probably be in moist places like the inside of your mouth, caused by the evaporation of the water. Your biggest problem is the fact that you would be suddenly exposed to a vacuum. Any exposed flesh would rapidly expand, bubbles would start forming in your blood, your lungs could explode. The vacuum combined with lack of oxygen would cause hypoxia, knocking you out in about 15 seconds. In 90 seconds exposed to space you are probably dead.

 

[A Satanic Panda]

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.

I can't cite a source at the moment, but I recall having read that the lack of pressure in space won't actually have you die at once, though you'll experience some swelling and perhaps sustain some damage.

As for the temperature: space is pretty much a vaccum. There are no particles there to rob you of your body heat, so you won't freeze to death.
Radiation is a more realisitic concern. Space is packed with the shit, and it can boil you alive.

Death by asphyxiation would happen in minutes. Plus all the dissolved gasses in your blood would cause it boil due to the vacuum and cause burst blood vessels, so that adds organ failure and massive aneurisms. It would also probably be one of the most painful ways to die.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I can assume if they want to want people travel to Mars safely and without going nut or running out of food supplies they will have to put in hyper sleep/ cold storage (like at the start of Aliens and Alien 2).
In saying so there got to be some form of maintenance by AI or robot to run the ship while they sleep unless an emergency arise.
I think it more realistic that they simply take longer sleep than to sleep (weeks or months) throughout the journey so it doesn't feel like a short trip (mental state) and NASA or whoever still keep in touch with them.

 

[geK0]

We already have one!

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

1. Having a trained psychologist/psychiatrist on board would be handy. Provided he isn't the one to go nutballs.
2. Apollo 13... We did get our folk back from the moon after a catastrophic failure, and they were using technology that basically amounts to a calculator today. So I would think that barring an instant death scenario, they could fix most any issue that arises. Of course there is the chaos factor...
3. We have to try at some point to explore with manned missions. And we have to be willing to take risks.
4. There are already rigorous testing phases that astronauts go through to mentally prepare and test them for long-term space missions.
5. Reiterating #3... if we don't attempt this one day, we'll never travel beyond our planet and I find that possibility mighty sad.

 

[Durgiun]

If someone does land on Mars, then I will officially kiss their feet and wipe their asses for a year, 'cause their deed would be badass as fuck.

 

[Da Orky Man]

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.

I can't cite a source at the moment, but I recall having read that the lack of pressure in space won't actually have you die at once, though you'll experience some swelling and perhaps sustain some damage.

As for the temperature: space is pretty much a vaccum. There are no particles there to rob you of your body heat, so you won't freeze to death.
Radiation is a more realisitic concern. Space is packed with the shit, and it can boil you alive.

Death by asphyxiation would happen in minutes. Plus all the dissolved gasses in your blood would cause it boil due to the vacuum and cause burst blood vessels, so that adds organ failure and massive aneurisms. It would also probably be one of the most painful ways to die.

Excuse me, but what vacuum? The skin is pretty strong, and is also air-proof. Since your blood is safely locked away inside blood vessels, they don'y get exposed to vacuum at all.
To my knowledge, the main threat is the air in your lungs. Unless you wear a helmet, any gas left in your lungs will rapidly expand, leading to massive internal damage.

 

[A Satanic Panda]

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.

I can't cite a source at the moment, but I recall having read that the lack of pressure in space won't actually have you die at once, though you'll experience some swelling and perhaps sustain some damage.

As for the temperature: space is pretty much a vaccum. There are no particles there to rob you of your body heat, so you won't freeze to death.
Radiation is a more realisitic concern. Space is packed with the shit, and it can boil you alive.

Death by asphyxiation would happen in minutes. Plus all the dissolved gasses in your blood would cause it boil due to the vacuum and cause burst blood vessels, so that adds organ failure and massive aneurisms. It would also probably be one of the most painful ways to die.

Excuse me, but what vacuum? The skin is pretty strong, and is also air-proof. Since your blood is safely locked away inside blood vessels, they don'y get exposed to vacuum at all.
To my knowledge, the main threat is the air in your lungs. Unless you wear a helmet, any gas left in your lungs will rapidly expand, leading to massive internal damage.

I guess if you have some thick skin you should go look up what happens to your body in a vacuum. Beside the holes in your eye sockets and ears, the sweat glands and pores are more then big enough to compromise your "air tight" skin.

 

[Da Orky Man]

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.

I can't cite a source at the moment, but I recall having read that the lack of pressure in space won't actually have you die at once, though you'll experience some swelling and perhaps sustain some damage.

As for the temperature: space is pretty much a vaccum. There are no particles there to rob you of your body heat, so you won't freeze to death.
Radiation is a more realisitic concern. Space is packed with the shit, and it can boil you alive.

Death by asphyxiation would happen in minutes. Plus all the dissolved gasses in your blood would cause it boil due to the vacuum and cause burst blood vessels, so that adds organ failure and massive aneurisms. It would also probably be one of the most painful ways to die.

Excuse me, but what vacuum? The skin is pretty strong, and is also air-proof. Since your blood is safely locked away inside blood vessels, they don'y get exposed to vacuum at all.
To my knowledge, the main threat is the air in your lungs. Unless you wear a helmet, any gas left in your lungs will rapidly expand, leading to massive internal damage.

I guess if you have some thick skin you should go look up what happens to your body in a vacuum. Beside the holes in your eye sockets and ears, the sweat glands and pores are more then big enough to compromise your "air tight" skin.

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/970603.html
http://www.geoffreylandis.com/vacuum.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_exposure
http://www.damninteresting.com/outer-space-exposure/

Apparently I am indeed correct. Your body simply swells up, and is fully airtight.

 

[A Satanic Panda]

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.

I can't cite a source at the moment, but I recall having read that the lack of pressure in space won't actually have you die at once, though you'll experience some swelling and perhaps sustain some damage.

As for the temperature: space is pretty much a vaccum. There are no particles there to rob you of your body heat, so you won't freeze to death.
Radiation is a more realisitic concern. Space is packed with the shit, and it can boil you alive.

Death by asphyxiation would happen in minutes. Plus all the dissolved gasses in your blood would cause it boil due to the vacuum and cause burst blood vessels, so that adds organ failure and massive aneurisms. It would also probably be one of the most painful ways to die.

Excuse me, but what vacuum? The skin is pretty strong, and is also air-proof. Since your blood is safely locked away inside blood vessels, they don'y get exposed to vacuum at all.
To my knowledge, the main threat is the air in your lungs. Unless you wear a helmet, any gas left in your lungs will rapidly expand, leading to massive internal damage.

I guess if you have some thick skin you should go look up what happens to your body in a vacuum. Beside the holes in your eye sockets and ears, the sweat glands and pores are more then big enough to compromise your "air tight" skin.

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/970603.html
http://www.geoffreylandis.com/vacuum.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_exposure

Apparently I am indeed correct. Your body simply swells up, and is fully airtight.

Huh, guess your right. But I'm not in a rush to find out for myself.