Out of this World

Discussion of Bushwalking, Hiking, Trekking, Tramping, Rambling and Camping elsewhere around the world.

Out of this World

Postby Overlandman » Thu 12 Jun, 2014 9:19 pm

From ABC news,
Two Australians in the running to set up a human colony and spend the rest of their lives on Mars

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-12/l ... rs/5519660

Ever wondered what it would be like to live on Mars?

A year ago, a Dutch entrepreneur launched a global campaign to find aspiring astronauts for a one-way mission to Mars, to be funded by a reality TV show.

More than 200,000 people applied.

Just 705 candidates are still in the running, including 28 Australians.

Kesha West spoke to two hopefuls whose ambition has astounded their family and friends.

It's a long way from Melbourne to Mars.

But there are plenty of people keen for a one-way ticket.

"I've sailed in the southern ocean, I've jumped out of planes, I've cycled thousands of kilometres, climbed mountains, it's just I think the ultimate adventure," says 44 year-old Dianne McGrath.

"I know there's no coming back, I do know that it's a one way trip. It's part of what makes it a bit more exciting."

"To go to Mars, to set up a human colony on Mars would be enormously exciting. And it is the next step for humans too and I'd love to be a part of that, it's groundbreaking," says David Mould.

Dianne McGrath and David Mould are two of the remaining Australian candidates in the running to be the first human settlers on Mars.

It might sound crazy, even foolish, but it's an opportunity both jumped at when they heard about the Mars One project.

Dianne has four university degrees and is working towards a PHD in sustainable food practice. She also likes extreme fitness challenges.

"Some of my friends, their first reaction was what about your hair, can you take your hairdresser, how will you survive without your hairdresser, and others were like you can't run a marathon on Mars, what are you going to do about running?" Dianne says.

David is 34 years old and a self confessed Trekkie.
He says when he told his friends and family he'd applied, most either thought it was a joke or that he was mad.

"My parents were a little funny about it at first, thinking am I getting away from them, am I abandoning them," he says.

"But they've all come around to being quite supportive in the long run although I don't think many of them think it's real yet," David says.

David teaches public speaking in schools and says he helps students learn to voice their opinions democratically.

His other passion is animal welfare.

David's home in the Melbourne suburb of Altona is full of animals of all shapes and sizes and has become a re-homing centre for abandoned and injured birds and animals.

"Having no animals on Mars is going to do my head in to be honest," David says.

"I will miss them a lot."
The Mars mission is the brainchild of Bas Landsdorp, a Dutch entrepreneur with a passion for space travel.

He's hoping to create the first human colony on Mars with more settlers arriving every couple of years.

The initial launch date is still a decade away but a television deal has just been signed with the production house behind the reality show, Big Brother.

Astrophysicist Charley Lineweaver says it will be a tremendous feat, if they can pull it off.

"The finance behind this is hopefully for him a reality TV show in which every single piece of the training, the launch and the landing will be watched," Charley says.
"So he's hoping it will make a big media splash and essentially get money from advertisers. That's a very fickle game."

But Charley Lineweaver says the premise is possible.

"The technology for a one-way mission to Mars is much simpler than the technology to go to Mars and come back - that's one of the big advantages of this Mars One mission," he says.

"If enough enthusiasm can be maintained then there'll be no problem because then there'll be other nations coming to Mars just regularly but if that regularity stops if there's some kind of financial crisis, then we'll be in a problem."

For the Mars One candidates, the next step in the astronaut selection process is the one-on-one interviews.

Dianne says they will have to show knowledge, intelligence and adaptability.

"You can't send the robotics experts of the world all off together because who's going to be able to cut your hair and grow the food and fix you're plumbing so you've got to be able to learn all those other skills as well and be an all-rounder really and that's what I bring to this - really I'm an all rounder," she says.

But with only a crew of four planned for the first mission, the most important trait may be prove to be personality.

That's something David Mould certainly has plenty of.

"I don't expect to find little green aliens or anything like that running around the planet, cool if we did, but I doubt that that will happen, " David says.
Whatever, Wherever, Whenever
Overlandman
Athrotaxis selaginoides
Athrotaxis selaginoides
 
Posts: 1566
Joined: Sun 13 Nov, 2011 5:22 pm
Location: Tasmania
Region: Tasmania
Gender: Male

Re: Out of this World

Postby Orion » Fri 13 Jun, 2014 1:37 am

Overlandman wrote:"The technology for a one-way mission to Mars is much simpler than the technology to go to Mars and come back - that's one of the big advantages of this Mars One mission," he says.


Getting there sounds like the easy part. How successful will they be at sustaining their existence?

At this point it sounds quite fanciful, but if it comes to pass it will make for a great reality TV show.
We can sit at home and watch the inhabitants slowly come unraveled.

http://www.mars-one.com/
Orion
Athrotaxis selaginoides
Athrotaxis selaginoides
 
Posts: 1963
Joined: Mon 02 Feb, 2009 12:33 pm
Region: Other Country

Re: Out of this World

Postby GPSGuided » Fri 13 Jun, 2014 8:45 am

It's starting to overstretch our love for "bushwalking".
Just move it!
User avatar
GPSGuided
Lagarostrobos franklinii
Lagarostrobos franklinii
 
Posts: 6968
Joined: Mon 13 May, 2013 2:37 pm
Location: Sydney
Region: New South Wales

Re: Out of this World

Postby Mitchc » Fri 13 Jun, 2014 5:24 pm

I've been following this for a while now, and am really interested to see how this plays out. I originally signed up for but didn't take it any further than that seeing as I assumed they would be looking for more 'mature' people (being only 22) but at least theres still the future! I hope they're able to pull it off. Reading all of their technology and ideas, it sounds feasible on paper but who knows :?: :?:
Mitchc
Atherosperma moschatum
Atherosperma moschatum
 
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu 13 Mar, 2014 2:35 pm
Region: New South Wales
Gender: Male

Re: Out of this World

Postby walkon » Fri 13 Jun, 2014 7:27 pm

Mitchie you should have kept it going, you'd be 32 when it took off for mars, an ideal age I'd reckon
Cheers Walkon

"I live in a very small house, but my windows look out on a very large world."
User avatar
walkon
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
 
Posts: 803
Joined: Sun 24 Nov, 2013 7:03 am
Region: Victoria
Gender: Male

Re: Out of this World

Postby north-north-west » Tue 17 Jun, 2014 5:29 pm

Orion wrote:
Overlandman wrote:"The technology for a one-way mission to Mars is much simpler than the technology to go to Mars and come back - that's one of the big advantages of this Mars One mission," he says.


Getting there sounds like the easy part. How successful will they be at sustaining their existence?

At this point it sounds quite fanciful, but if it comes to pass it will make for a great reality TV show.
We can sit at home and watch the inhabitants slowly come unraveled.

http://www.mars-one.com/

First Fleet fast forwarded 250 years. I would not watch - it's not like there would be any sort of rescue possible when things went badly pear-shaped.
"Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens."
User avatar
north-north-west
Lagarostrobos franklinii
Lagarostrobos franklinii
 
Posts: 15069
Joined: Thu 14 May, 2009 7:36 pm
Location: The Asylum
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: Social Misfits Anonymous
Region: Tasmania

Re: Out of this World

Postby Mitchc » Wed 18 Jun, 2014 3:01 pm

walkon wrote:Mitchie you should have kept it going, you'd be 32 when it took off for mars, an ideal age I'd reckon


Yeah, I really didn't think it through that much haha. With the degree I am currently doing and degrees' planned, I plan to move around a fair bit (internationally and domestically) so I couldn't be bothered investing the time and money into it when I don't even know what continent I will be on in 2 years :lol:
Mitchc
Atherosperma moschatum
Atherosperma moschatum
 
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu 13 Mar, 2014 2:35 pm
Region: New South Wales
Gender: Male

Re: Out of this World

Postby Gadgetgeek » Thu 19 Jun, 2014 9:21 am

Its a cool idea, but even with some of the tech being off the shelf, the critical stuff hasn't been invented yet. I think they will get as far as selling the show of the training, and that will probably be a money maker for a little while, but I don't think they will be able to launch. The scale of the amount of money they are going to need for the first stage (unmanned) landing is insane.
On the other hand its no different than the original explorers from europe, none of them had a guarantee of return either. although most of them probably figured they had the skills to make it back, it wasn't a definite one way trip. If people want to go, I think they should.
Gadgetgeek
Athrotaxis selaginoides
Athrotaxis selaginoides
 
Posts: 1214
Joined: Sun 23 Sep, 2012 4:10 pm
Region: Queensland
Gender: Male

Re: Out of this World

Postby Orion » Thu 19 Jun, 2014 11:33 am

north-north-west wrote:
Orion wrote:...if it comes to pass it will make for a great reality TV show.
We can sit at home and watch the inhabitants slowly come unraveled.

...I would not watch - it's not like there would be any sort of rescue possible when things went badly pear-shaped.


I wouldn't watch either but we're in the minority. Reality TV is big and people going nuts on Mars (or worse) would be a huge media draw. Even the show where they let the TV audience help to choose the first four guinea pigs will probably be very popular.

I don't understand the mindset of these "astronauts". I mean, I'd love to visit space, orbit for a while, maybe walk on the moon. But I'd want it to be a VISIT of some reasonable duration. What sort of person wants to go to Mars forever?
Orion
Athrotaxis selaginoides
Athrotaxis selaginoides
 
Posts: 1963
Joined: Mon 02 Feb, 2009 12:33 pm
Region: Other Country


Return to International

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests