Ok, was watching "Man vs. The Universe" on Science Channel last night. Subject was a mission to Mars.

A company called "Mars One" came up. The guy's premise? Missions to Mars are hard because getting over there with a fully-fuelled return vehicle is a bitch. So let's just leave that part out. We'll land to stay instead. This guy is deadly serious. He's already got over 1000 volunteers willing to live on Mars, and is going to screen them down to a dirty dozen, a decade of intense training followed by having them be on Mars, to stay 2024. Oh BTW, they'll be on a reality TV series...

Well, color me skeptical. The me of 10 or 20 years ago would have been all gung-ho. Thanks to Gene Roddenberry, I was the living beathing embodyment of Space-Core http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVn1oQL9sWg I might have even joined them. But now, older and wiser, instead I immediately find myself asking hard questions.

As it is, I see a lot of problems with this, and fear, what if these people are just abandoned there.

My Dad's criticisms pretty much sum it up: "4 out of 6 people in the Russian experiment develloped psychological problems" (an 18-month simulated Mars mission shown in the same program) "7 out of 12 probes crashed" (also in the same program) "and even if you get there, they're sending you there to die." (because from a certain POV, spending your whole life there is the same thing as a death sentence)

To that bonfire, I add this piece of timber - suppose the Reality TV program IS the mission? It's a known fact most TV shows peak in their 3rd season, by then, it'll be 18 months and the show gets new life as it changes and the people land on Mars! The audience following them along will now be emotionally attached, plus new viewers check in because it's the first manned landing on Mars. It's brilliant. It's no Smash TV, but it's a sign we're almost there...

...

It did get me thinking what I'd need psychologically to want to go. And it struck me: fursuit space suit. Hear me out. The inner skin and guts of the spacesuit need to be a certain way, but the outer shell can be ANYthing. Custom pimped spacesuits are gonna be a thing someday. You could easily wrap them in a fursuit. And be the first Furry on Mars.

No. That doesn't go far enough.

Make mine an Anubis suit. Make the outer panels glossy black, with gold trim. And lights. Like something out of Stargate. http://www.gateworld.net/gallery/di....._display_media (yes, i know that's really horus, but you get the idea, ok?) Why? Because knowing that once you step out on Mars, my suit is going to look SO. AWESOME. makes a big difference psychologically for those 18 months you're cooped up in the tin can. There's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Because even covered in red Mars dust, in a screeching dust storm (the air's too thin for it to howl) that shit would make me the most badass thing to ever walk the Red Planet. The rest of the crew can't touch this.

(If I could color like alectorfencer I'd SO art that right now...)

But the BIG psychological problem is... nothing new.

See, going to Mars is a new experience, but once you're established (hopefully recycling all your oxygen, water, and organic matter for food), nothing new can ever happen, for the rest of your life. Just keep the hydroponic maintence going, day in and day out, for the rest of your life. you're out of communications range from Earth. Well, GOOD communications. Imagine not just no internet, but never having a new movie, new video game... That would wear down on people psychologically. (Well, being locked in a cell with Pokemon isn't so bad, it's infinitely replayable, but the community, the new strategies and tricks and tips, are part of the game for me. As an example) There might be certain mentality that's comfortable with living in a closed circuit like that, but I doubt it's the ones you think, the ones who really want to go. It's an Islander mentality. You don't want adventurers, you want people willing to live soft, quiet lives, with little stimulation. Space Amish.

There is a solution, but I have yet see it on the table, so here it is: care packages of a sort. Each new mission adding to the settlement (Assuming this whole Mars One thing is serious) needs to carry the next installment of culture and media. That's news, TV shows, movies, video games, books... In this case for the last 18 months. So the people might be isolated, but they're never insulated from the culture back home. It's also to keep there from being a revolution down the road. You want to keep your colonies united with the home planet, maintaining a common culture (that's language, religion, pop culture, memes, all of it) is a good start.

Oh, I'd still want to go, but it has to be under certain terms, these sorts of things plus a return trip being part of it. Mostly, I'm old enough I'm much less motivated by SPAAAAACE and more motivated by SEEEEEX, and one is much easier to obtain groundbound on this planet than the other :p

comment plz, damn you!