NASA, DARPA Planning One-Way Human Trip to Mars

Why would you want to go on a one way trip to Mars? How would you get back? Is it a suicide mission? That's just weird.

its a suicidal mission for sure...unless NASA also has some trick for doubling human life span and making the trip back home!!!

I wander how hard of a time they'll have finding volunteers for this mission. I opt to stay here on Earth and take my chances getting old in a familiar environment.

Sign me up. I'll take any chance I can to get out of this navel gazing zoo. As Doorman says we are all on a suicide mission and reply #5 describes my outlook pretty well.

If all of humanity had the "get old in a familiar environment" attitude wouldn't we still be living in caves? (And not getting very old)

You're correct, but I am not all of humanity. I just meant I would like to stay here on Earth and get old with my children and grand children where I am familiar with life and what's going on around me. Playing it safe. I'm getting to old to take risky adventures into the vast regions of space.

It would be a suicide mission to the extent that living to age 75 (or so) here on earth is a suicide mission. No one gets out alive.

That does bring something up I have not heard discussed: Otherworld Cemetaries... caskets? cremations? Bring 'em back to earth?

"...Otherworld Cemetaries... caskets? cremations? Bring 'em back to earth?"

Nope. The dead are bags of spare parts and desperately-needed chemical compounds. Recycle.

Even so, I'd happily go. Given the choice of A) leading a likely unremarkable life on Earth or B) being remembered forever as either one of the Founding Colonists or one of the Brave Lost Colonists...I'll take B please.

I've got my Fisher Space Pen ready. Where's the sign-up form?

So why do they expect it to be a 100 year journey to get to mars?

The exploration spacecraft we have sent there now do the one way trip in only a few years time or less given our present propulsion methods.

I am a little puzzled about that, too. In the final paragraph of the article, it says they expect to be populating the moons of mars by 2030. So, it is evident the reference to '100 Year' is not a single trip duration. Maybe the life expectancy of the vessel, sort of like the Space Shuttles?

I Dunno...

This is a weird, sketchy article. I think this was a quickly done job by the reporter. Lots of hype, but very few details.

"Hundred Year Starship" - What does that mean?

"finding food and water" - Finding water, sure. Finding food? What?

By 2030? I don't think so.

If you follow the links the better article is found here.

...Mars, the "new" American Australia...oneway tickets only.

Guys, guys, guys its for a permanent settlement.

What about the mentioned estimate price tag of $10 billion at the bottom of the article, that's ridiculously cheap!

100 year trip, me thinks someone is thinking 'deep sleep hibernation' or 'deep freeze cryogenics' project again. Did anyone ever sort out the cryogenics freezing issues for humans or are we left with sending either goldfish (the only successful cryogenics subjects I am aware of) or perhaps very, very flat humans.