space.com— When planning manned missions to Mars, NASA must overcome many challenges, including what to feed the astronauts. Providing healthy and plentiful food on a trip to Mars could prove quite difficult, scientists say.
Sep 13, 2011View in Crawl 4
"Providing healthy and plentiful food on a trip to Mars could prove quite difficult,"
Not nearly as difficult as providing for a healthy return to earth.
It should be obvious by now that the real problem is propulsion. Chemical rockets just won't cut it for human exploration anywhere beyond the moon. And as with the space shuttle, the only thing we're likely to learn from the effort is that it's too dangerous and too expensive.
I've read in several places that the initial mission to Mars will not include a return to Earth, thus will be in essence a suicide mission. With that known, I understand there is still no shortage of volunteers.
I would go in a heart-beat without a 2nd thought. To me, your hope would be to hold out that the next group behind you would bring materials and related that you might actually live a full life. It might not be suicide as much as simply shortening your life in return for a experience unlike any other.
And even if it is a suicide mission, the simple ability to choose the point at which you die and not be looked upon by society as the worst kind of person, but instead a leader in the push to expand and colonize new worlds is a huge responsibility and honor.
You are correct that there's a possibility that it would be a one way mission. But that doesn't mean its a suicide mission. The idea would be to allow the astronauts to support themselves on the surface of mars - manufacture their own food, etc., or at worse send them periodic shipments of food and supplies via subsequent rocket launches. So while the astronauts would probably never be able to return to earth (unless, many years later, there were some way to send a retrieval mission for them), there's also no reason to expect their lifespans to be cut short.
anomaly100Sep 13, 2011
I'm sure they'll run into space cows on the way. Now let's go already!
cosmicsurferSep 13, 2011
They may be mutant vampire space cows!
anomaly100Sep 13, 2011
But cows nevertheless. Who can be picky in space where no one can hear your hunger pangs?
ryanwbSep 13, 2011
Send Bear Grylls, problem solved
eferguson739Sep 14, 2011
Almond M&Ms.
hobbitchampSep 14, 2011
Ice?
jqp123Sep 13, 2011
"Providing healthy and plentiful food on a trip to Mars could prove quite difficult,"
Not nearly as difficult as providing for a healthy return to earth.
It should be obvious by now that the real problem is propulsion. Chemical rockets just won't cut it for human exploration anywhere beyond the moon. And as with the space shuttle, the only thing we're likely to learn from the effort is that it's too dangerous and too expensive.
ryanwbSep 13, 2011
I've read in several places that the initial mission to Mars will not include a return to Earth, thus will be in essence a suicide mission. With that known, I understand there is still no shortage of volunteers.
greeneyes137Sep 13, 2011
I would go in a heart-beat without a 2nd thought. To me, your hope would be to hold out that the next group behind you would bring materials and related that you might actually live a full life. It might not be suicide as much as simply shortening your life in return for a experience unlike any other.
And even if it is a suicide mission, the simple ability to choose the point at which you die and not be looked upon by society as the worst kind of person, but instead a leader in the push to expand and colonize new worlds is a huge responsibility and honor.
notachickenhawkSep 13, 2011
You are correct that there's a possibility that it would be a one way mission. But that doesn't mean its a suicide mission. The idea would be to allow the astronauts to support themselves on the surface of mars - manufacture their own food, etc., or at worse send them periodic shipments of food and supplies via subsequent rocket launches. So while the astronauts would probably never be able to return to earth (unless, many years later, there were some way to send a retrieval mission for them), there's also no reason to expect their lifespans to be cut short.
dougnic55Sep 13, 2011
steak i hope...