Would you volunteer to go to Mars for the Mars One Project?

[Ed]

Would you be willing to leave all of your friends and family and go to Mars? You would be one of the first humans to step foot on the Red Planet. However it would also mean that you would have to live the rest of your life in a new society on Mars. You would go down in history, but would no longer be able to see or be with your friends/family (other than via phone/internet).

Would you go?


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[Mars-One]

I think I would volunteer to go. Someone needs to do it in order to make the planet more livable for future generations.

[Rachael Benedict]

I definitely would not go to Mars and leave my family. What happens when you get homesick? What will you do every day of your life? Explore the planet? It's all the same, a bunch of red rock!

[Brian Krassenstein]

Heck no. It would have to be people who have no major social connections here on earth, have no major assets, and are young enough to be physically able to deal with the demands of such a job in 10-15 years. This would eliminate anyone currently over the age of 40 or so in My opinion.

[Rachael Benedict]

Heck no. It would have to be people who have no major social connections here on earth, have no major assets, and are young enough to be physically able to deal with the demands of such a job in 10-15 years. This would eliminate anyone currently over the age of 40 or so in My opinion.

The problem is, if these people have no social connections on Earth, they more than likes are people that don't get along well with others. To be stuck with 3 of these people in your group for 2 years on a foreign planet would seem like hell!

[MellowTigger]

Absolutely. Life here has never seemed easy, so I don't mind the hardship. I think that seeing a "new" world and building a different future for humanity would be a rewarding adventure.

[Rachael Benedict]

Absolutely. Life here has never seemed easy, so I don't mind the hardship. I think that seeing a "new" world and building a different future for humanity would be a rewarding adventure.

While I agree with you, I just don't think I could leave my family and friends forever to take part in something even as extraordinary as Mars One. Mellow, do you have a lot of family? Wouldn't you miss them?

[khavre]

The problem is, if these people have no social connections on Earth, they more than likes are people that don't get along well with others. To be stuck with 3 of these people in your group for 2 years on a foreign planet would seem like hell!

The rest of your life Rachael, not 2 years... You really should not go!

[khavre]

I have an ancestor who was an explorer/adventurer. These people still exist and would not think twice about going if they might return, but would still go if odds ore they would not... I also think that there are many who are older (had their family already) and saw this as the final adventure, would do it without the garauntee of return. These are also GREAT candidates, because you do not need to teach them survival skills (culturally, and basic life functions) because they already have... I saw this discussion on another site when the idea first came up. I answered that same; I WILL be one of the applicants for any attempt to colonize Mars, in about 10 years ...

[Blarg Hunter]

I would go without hesitation but my wife and kids said they will not. Looks like I cannot sign on the dotted line.

I also think I would be too old when the ship takes off in the future. I would think you want the majority of the people on the initial flight to be 18 to 30 years old. There is a reason the military allows 17 and 18 year old kids in - they are tough, smart, and capable of great feats of endurance. They are highly trainable and follow orders. That's going to be needed on Mars. That's not to say members of the initial wave of colonists all need to be young - key members with very high levels of experience and wisdom should also be included irregardless of age. Discipline, age and Leadership will in my opinion be key factors in the success of the colony. On a very basic level you are sure to need people who can stay awake for days on end. You will need people who can get by on a few hours of sleep per night for at least 5 days in a row.

Many of the US elite special forces members are family men. They find these men fight harder and perform better when there is more to lose. Why not send married couples or at the very least an equal number of male and female colonists?

I would think sending a married person to mars without their spouse would be a bad idea. Leaving kids behind on earth also a bad idea.