Journeying to Mars -- on a One-Way Ticket

Why would you send astronauts past their reproductive years? Wouldn't you want to send men and women who are of productive age to have children on Mars to truly be a multi-planet species? Other wise wouldn't we just be a temporary inhabitant of the planet dieing off without establishing a colony self sustained with birthing of new offspring?

Perhaps it may be still cheaper than what a nursing home or assisted living facility can cost in the long run.

Plus then there is the legitimate reasons for not calling or visiting!

Sorry Grandpa but you know how it is. The planets only line up every few years and you now how hard it is to book a interplanetary shuttle flight these days.

Also don't we all know a few old farts we would like to see launched into space for a never return mission/excuse anyway?

"Also don't we all know a few old farts we would like to see launched into space for a never return mission/excuse anyway?"

Most of them appear to work in Washington, but they are about to get handed "Pink Slips".

Elton John says "Mars ain't the kind of place to raise a kid"

Sign me up.

It seems that maybe we could send the scalawags, cheats, prostitutes, thieves, and various other crooks on the one-way trip. The English did this about 200 years ago, and the interdependence that the trippers had to learn to survive left the world with the Aussie's.

That doesn't seem to have been any gross failure, so maybe the same would work for the modern scalawags. Any repeat or serial criminals could be a financial gain for the world rater than a lifetime of penitentiary care. The only guards needed by the English were aboard the delivery vessel, and left with it. Now, with remote and programed control, guards shouldn't be needed past boarding. Add a few politico's to stir the blend, and let's see what happens. Can we vote for some politicians?

rich