DailyDirt: Mars Or Bust

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Missions to Mars require a lot of planning and a sizable budget -- especially considering that a manned mission is impossible with current technology. Sending robotic probes to Mars can be tricky, but obviously they can be done. Safely transporting a human (or handful of humans) to Mars is slightly more challenging because people need to eat, breathe and not die from radiation exposure -- among many other risks. A goal of reaching Mars by 2030 doesn't seem too likely at this point, but maybe in a few more decades.

• The Mars One mission to get a one-way journey to the red planet doesn't seem to be legit. Some candidates for the mission are discussing their experiences with the application process, and the organization sounds a bit fishy. It wouldn't be surprising to see Mars One fail to get off the ground, but it's disappointing that it might discredit the whole concept. [url]
• Chinese astronauts are preparing to be farmers on Mars (and the moon) with an "ecological life support system" that grows a few kinds of plants. It would be convenient if Martian soil could be used, but that's probably not going to happen any time soon. [url]
• The chances that water still flows on Mars aren't exactly zero. It might be possible under certain conditions, even though the temperatures are generally below the freezing point of water, so Dan Quayle might not have been completely wrong. [url]

If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.

Filed Under: dan quayle, life support system, manned missions, mars, mars one, martian soil, space, space exploration, space farm