Mars One

[Gestalt]

Are our governments too tied up for human space travel in this century? Is private space exploration the answer?
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=n4tgkyUBkbY
 

As of June 2012, the mission plan is as follows:^[4]

• 2013: The first 24 astronauts will be selected;^[26] a replica of the settlement will be built for training purposes.^[16]
• 2014: The first communication satellite will be produced.
• 2016: A supply mission will be launched during January (arriving October) with 2,500 kilograms (5,500 lb) of food in a 5 metres (16 ft) diameter variant of the SpaceX Dragon.^[16]The fallback if this is not ready in time is either to use a 3.8 metres (12 ft) Dragon or to delay by two years.^[27]
• 2018: An exploration vehicle will launch to pick the location of the settlement.^[16]
• 2021: Six additional Dragon capsules and another rover will launch with two living units, two life support units and two supply units.^[16]
• 2022: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy will launch with the first group of four colonists.^[16]
• 2023: The first colonists will arrive on Mars in a modified Dragon capsule.^[16]
• 2025: A second group of four colonists will arrive.^[16]
• 2033: The colony will reach 20 settlers.^[1]

 

I say yes. Can "mars one" be the enterprise to do it? Dunno. Would I go? No, as far as now, I don't think a one way trip is for me. Would it be awesome to go? Hell yesh. (i'm on mars motherfathers).

[Faisul]

I'm as excited about the potential of private space exploration as anyone can be but I think this project is gonna have problems with money. While I can definitely see a huge media event and reality tv accompaniment to the project pull in some revenue, but not nearly enough to pull it off - and the six billion dollars (likely to be much more than that) required for this kind of adventure will largely have to come from private investors. While it would be a great indication of the forward-thinking nature of the human race for a bunch of rich people to just up and throw money at the project (which is basically about colonizing mars because we can) I'm having difficulties seeing the potential benefits of such an enterprise. Maybe it'll be enough to inspire others to follow, but until there's a really compelling reason to go I don't see this gaining much traction. Not that I don't want it to, of course, but projects like these have a track record of falling apart once those involved see how much of a hassle it'll be to bring people - alive - to Mars, and have them stay there without dying horribly.

[Dr. Orange]

To quote two great characters in history.

 

"To boldly go where no man has gone before."

"To infinity and beyond!"

[DZComposer]

The best research is usually not done by the private sector. The research that goes into the fundamentals of physics and cosmology are not profitable ventures on their own, but they can lead to later commercialization once the discoveries have been made. Making said discoveries is very very expensive and I really have doubts that investors have the stomach for serious space research. Nikola Tesla found that out the hard way and died penniless. Thomas Edison, who was alive at the same time, is more well known because he was a commercialization innovator. He researched things to sell. Tesla researched for the sake of research. Yet it was Tesla's contributions that laid the groudwork for wireless communication.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against the commercialization of space, but as governments leave space travel to the private sector, sadly science will suffer for it.

[Fana McCloud]

I'd love to see how existing governments handle the colonization of Mars "without their consent". XD Could you imagine the political BS when Earth governments try to lay claim to running Mars even though they had no hand in it's colonization? "Oh, yeah, BTW, now that we actually give a damn and you've attracted our attention - we're in charge."

 

Getting the amount of funding they need also seems like it'd be a herculean task.

[madame bellatrix]

I'd love to see how existing governments handle the colonization of Mars "without their consent". XD Could you imagine the political BS when Earth governments try to lay claim to running Mars even though they had no hand in it's colonization? "Oh, yeah, BTW, now that we actually give a damn and you've attracted our attention - we're in charge."

-exactly what the biggest problem is gonna be.now what's gonna happen if they stick with this thing in twenty years or so?will there be the same laws as on earth,what kind of government are these people gonna have? what about allegiance to nations? I exepect a lot of political bullshit to come from this

[Faisul]

Well, that's if anyone actually cares. Until there's anything on Mars except for these reality tv astronauts and a couple habitation modules I don't think anyone's going to get too involved in martian politics. A couple people on a lifeless rock billions of miles away isn't what I call a government issue, especially if they sign their lives away in whatever contract they'll get. After all, it's a one-way trip.

[ballisticwaffles]

The amount of time it will take for something of this kind of venture to grow to the point where "Political Bullshit" Is required, i hardly doubt national allegiance and government will matter until about 100 years from now by the looks of things. In 2033 they plan to have 20 people on Mars, so i hardly doubt the self sustainability of a true colony will be any time soon.

 

In any case presumably the settlers will use a Democratic system of "Raise your hands in favor". It is only when you have too many people for a direct Democracy to be efficient can you start with more advanced governments. Vote for the Emperor of Mars, 2196!