SPECIAL REPORT: 2 local women possibly headed to Mars
NASA has been talking about putting people on Mars for about 45 years.
Now, one company is claiming it has the brain power, finances, resources and thousands of volunteers to actually colonize the planet in the next ten years.
Two local women are finalists for this one way ticket and the idea of never returning to Earth, they say, at this point doesn't really bother them.
Because landing on the moon was so 1969, Sara Director wants to go the extra 139 million miles to the Red Planet and never return.
She is one of 100 finalists who could be chosen by the Netherlands based non-profit, Mars One, to leave everyone and everything behind, including oxygen, to live permanently on Mars.
"I think in some ways it's going to be shockingly different but in some ways it's going to be exactly the same. Yes, we are going to live in a tin can on another planet, but we are going to wake up in the morning and eat breakfast," Director said.
Sounds easy enough, but the reality is these potential history makers face every challenge imaginable: no water, no food, no infrastructure, below zero temperatures and extraordinary low atmospheric pressure.
Then there's the issue of finding an actual spacecraft to get them there safely.
"Humanity has sent a number of landers and rovers and things like that have been highly unsuccessful at getting them to land safely," Chief Astronomer of the Franklin Institute Derrick Pitts said.
Pitts supports the idea of exploring Mars and believes we are capable of developing the necessary technology.
Mars One would send up all supplies and equipment ahead of when the recruits would get there in 2025 and it would take the recruits 6 months to get to the planet.
But human settlement is not a new idea. Scientist Robert Zubrin proposed a similar plan in the 1990's.
Now Mars One claims it has the technological capabilities to make his vision a reality.
The brains behind Mars One believe the mission will aid our understanding of the origins of the solar system, the origins of life and our place in the universe.
"I think it's a tremendous adventure and something that we can't avoid happening in the future," Pitts said.
"I will literally go down in history and actually make a meaningful impact on the entire course of humanity," Director said.
Cassandra Morphy is another finalist from our area who feels she could be a lead computer engineer on the team, which would only consist of 24 people.
"I've wanted to go to Mars since I first read "Red Mars" when I was 14. We will be the first ones there and it's mostly going to be growing our own crops, maintaining the equipment," Morphy said.
If Cassandra and Sara make the final cut they will go through a very intensive physical, psychological and technical training.
And there is no guarantee that any of it will prepare them or ensure their survival.
"I'm getting really excited about it and I'm also really scared," Director said.
If you are interested in becoming a Mars One participant, the foundation plans to open up another round of applications in the coming years; it costs applicants between $30 and $40 to apply.
Mars One: Human Settlement on Mars
http://www.mars-one.com/
The Franklin Institute
https://www.fi.edu/
NASA
http://www.nasa.gov/
MIT Study on Mars-One
http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2014/technical-feasibility-mars-one-1014
Mars One Comment on MIT Study:
As for the MIT study, we think it is great that our mission inspires students from around the world and appreciate all studies about our mission. It is too bad that in this particular MIT report, they have used an ISS simulation model to simulate a Mars mission. Their conclusions are to a large extend the result of using that model. An important conclusion of their work should be that Mars missions require purpose built hardware. They make a good point about spare parts being a challenge for Mars mission. Their simulation uses the ISS strategy of "orbital replacement units" and again clearly shows that a strategy that works for LEO is not acceptable for Mars missions because the weight of replacing whole systems instead of broken components is too high.
The Mars One design has been started by Paragon Space Development Corporation, a very established company with very experienced engineers. The life support system that they will design for us will use purpose built components and a lower level spare part solution.
Mars One Follow-Up Comments:
1. Candidates can always choose not to join the mission at any time, and at any point during the selection process and even after having passed the selection process. Back-up teams will be ready to replace any crew member that drops out, even at the very last minute.
2. The final candidates will go into full-time training and will become employees of Mars One. It will be a paid position.
3. In the case that the funding is not sufficient, the timeline will be updated, this could lead to a delay of two years (because of the way Mars and Earth orbit the sun, one can't delay a Mars mission by a random period, but only by increments of two years). That would mean that the candidates would have additional time to train for the mission.
