Author Topic: Mars One Discussion Thread  (Read 454367 times)

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #440 on: 04/22/2013 08:17 pm »
Press release:

Quote
Mars One starts its search for the first humans on Mars
NEW YORK, Monday, 22nd April 2013 – Mars One is happy to announce the launch of its astronaut selection program today. The search has begun for the first humans to set foot on Mars and make it their home.
Mars One invites would-be Mars settlers from anywhere in the world to submit an online application via apply.mars-one.com.
This online application will be the first of the four rounds that together make the Mars One selection procedure. Round One will run for over five months and end on 31st August 2013. Applicants selected at the end of this round will include the first crew that will land on Mars in 2023. Mars One selection committees will hone the search for the first crew in three subsequent rounds and further training.
“We are very excited about launching the selection program. Round One is where we open the doors to Mars for everyone on Earth. This is an international mission and it is very important for the project that anyone anywhere can ask themselves: Do I want this? Am I ready for this? If the answer is yes then we want to hear from you,” said Bas Lansdorp, co-founder of Mars One.
In the last year Mars One received 10,000 messages from prospective applicants from over 100 countries. Mars One expects an unprecedented number of applications and even more internet users visiting the application website to support their favorite candidates.
Applicants are given the choice of publicly sharing and promoting their application page. While Mars One experts will choose which candidates progress to Round 2, everyone will have the opportunity to know the aspiring settlers and give them their vote of confidence.
Applicants will pay a small administration fee that varies across nations according to their per capita GDP. The variable fee makes the program equally accessible for applicants from all nations and also reduces the number of insincere entries.
“For this mission of permanent settlement we are more concerned with how well each astronaut lives and works with others and their ability to deal with a lifetime of challenges.”
“Gone are the days when bravery and the number of hours flying a supersonic jet were the top criteria,” said Norbert Kraft, Mars One’s Chief Medical Director and former NASA senior researcher.
“For this mission of permanent settlement we are more concerned with how well each astronaut lives and works with others and their ability to deal with a lifetime of challenges.”
Throughout the astronaut selection program, Mars One will select applicants who have good physical and mental health and show five key character traits: Resilience, Adaptability, Curiosity, Ability to trust others, and Creativity/Resourcefulness.
In the last stage when 24-40 candidates have been fully trained and qualified, the final decision of choosing the first settlers will be decided by an audience vote.
“In a 1000 years, everyone on Earth will still remember who the first humans on Mars were, just like Neil Armstrong has etched in our memories forever. This makes the selection of the first crew to a different planet a very important election; in my opinion more important than most elections. We hope the whole world will join Mars One in our democratic search of the envoys of mankind to Mars, ” Lansdorp said.

About Mars One
The Mars One Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that will send humans to Mars in 2023 to establish the first permanent settlement outside Earth. Before the first settlers land on Mars a self-sustaining habitat will be set up with help of rovers and more settlers will follow every two years. A realistic mission plan has been designed using only existing technology available through the private space industry. The first footprint on Mars will fascinate and inspire generations; it is this public interest that will help finance this human mission to Mars.

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #441 on: 04/22/2013 08:29 pm »
One candidate, some australian guy. Question: Why do you think you're the ideal candidate?

Answer: Because I'm entirely bonkers, and I think that is needed for such a mission.

I think this question posted on Twitter gets more to the heart of it: can you avoid harming yourself and others if you realize your one-way trip to Mars was the worst mistake of your life?
« Last Edit: 04/22/2013 08:30 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline Tass

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #442 on: 04/22/2013 09:22 pm »
One candidate, some australian guy. Question: Why do you think you're the ideal candidate?

Answer: Because I'm entirely bonkers, and I think that is needed for such a mission.

I think this question posted on Twitter gets more to the heart of it: can you avoid harming yourself and others if you realize your one-way trip to Mars was the worst mistake of your life?

Indeed.

I fear this fear this project will be just successful enough to send one team of poor bastards there, before interest wanes and money runs out. Then people will watch them eventually die horribly, cementing in peoples minds that space settlement is a dead end.

This could gravely harm more serious settlement.

Offline MATTBLAK

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #443 on: 04/22/2013 09:36 pm »
I remain a major skeptic for this project. I see that the press conference was very poorly attended and just a small point - the name plates appeared to be hand-written which gives an immediately amateurish touch. I rather doubt that these fine folk have the financial and technical horsepower needed to pull it off.

Mores the pity... :(
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Offline malu5531

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #444 on: 04/22/2013 09:40 pm »
Looks like the stream is already coming from mars.

But the application vid is kind of cool:

Wow, amazing! :) I think this video might even be more inspiring than the "We are the explorers".

It's less dramatic, calmer, positive and more poetic, it felt original. If Mars One continue to improve in this direction maybe they'll actually make it!

Offline grondilu

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #445 on: 04/22/2013 10:03 pm »
I fear this this project will be just successful enough to send one team of poor bastards there, before interest wanes and money runs out. Then people will watch them eventually die horribly, cementing in peoples minds that space settlement is a dead end.

Maybe that's a price to pay so people can stop being delusional about space and start really measuring the difficulty of space colonization.

Offline Oli

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #446 on: 04/22/2013 10:09 pm »
Habitat pics I found somewhere. No windows? I would go crazy.
« Last Edit: 04/23/2013 12:39 pm by Oli »

Offline AnalogMan

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #447 on: 04/22/2013 11:19 pm »
P.S. Why doesn't it scale the pics?

You need to post the images as an attachment rather than embedding them in the main text.  If you are using the "quick reply" box, then hit the "preview" button to get the attachment entry boxes displayed.

Attached images will be shown as large thumbnails, and enlarge when clicked.

When images are attached a copy is saved on the forum website, whereas embedded images rely on a link to an external website which may cease to exist in the future.
« Last Edit: 04/22/2013 11:22 pm by AnalogMan »

Offline catdlr

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #448 on: 04/23/2013 02:49 am »
How To Die On Mars - The Mars One Project Explained | Video

Published on Apr 22, 2013
Not-for-profit company Mars One is now accepting applications for the opportunity to be the first humans to set foot on Mars in 2023. One catch - its' a one way ticket to colonize the desolate, caustic, cold world. Project founders explain.

Credit: SPACE.com / Images: Mars One

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Offline R7

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #449 on: 04/23/2013 10:14 am »
But the application vid is kind of cool:

Felt sudden urge to apply at 1:35

They understand marketing  :D

edit:
Habitat pics I found somewhere:

The greenhouse section seems way too small to support even one person.
« Last Edit: 04/23/2013 10:22 am by R7 »
AD·ASTRA·ASTRORVM·GRATIA

Offline Robert Thompson

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #450 on: 04/23/2013 11:25 am »
http://www.spacehabs.com/424528/mars-one/
Based on what I heard on a recent LPL conference call to Lane Peterson at South Pole Food Growth chamber, that CGI greenhouse could probably produce about 1000 calories per day, with little in the way of protein. The lighting seems wan. By that time it should be red and blue LEDs.

Offline JohnFornaro

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #451 on: 04/23/2013 12:54 pm »
One candidate, some australian guy. Question: Why do you think you're the ideal candidate?

Answer: Because I'm entirely bonkers, and I think that is needed for such a mission.

NSoV.
Sometimes I just flat out don't get it.

Offline JohnFornaro

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #452 on: 04/23/2013 01:22 pm »
Habitat pics I found somewhere.

Well, it would be best if the image could be verified.  "Somewhere" ain't the best attribution.  I see that Bryan Versteeg is credited with the artwork.

Throwing my eyeball over that habitat illustration, I estimate that it's a two bedroom unit about 120' long.  Here it is next to an FH.

The illustration is not even wrong.
Sometimes I just flat out don't get it.

Offline Oli

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #453 on: 04/23/2013 01:46 pm »
^

Well the habitat essentially consists of an inflatable, floor tiles, boxes of all kind (foldable I guess), curtains (or whatever that is), some support structure. Nothing too voluminous on its own. Its like ikea ;). But yeah you need two of those and the parts must fit into 4 dragons or so.
« Last Edit: 04/23/2013 01:49 pm by Oli »

Offline David GREENFIELD

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #454 on: 04/23/2013 05:30 pm »
Are they really only planning to send four people?
Let's go to Mars!

Offline Altonity

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #455 on: 04/23/2013 06:27 pm »
Are they really only planning to send four people?

If everything goes as planned they will send four more people every two year.

Offline woods170

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #456 on: 05/06/2013 05:31 pm »
I remain a major skeptic for this project. I see that the press conference was very poorly attended and just a small point - the name plates appeared to be hand-written which gives an immediately amateurish touch. I rather doubt that these fine folk have the financial and technical horsepower needed to pull it off.

Mores the pity... :(

You're not the only one. One of MarsOne's representatives (Marieke Wagensveld - member of the MarsOne PR team) gave a presentation last saturday at the Aviodrome aerospace museum in the Netherlands.

Let's just say that I was less than impressed. I took some notes and will copy them in here. Notes are in random order. And I'll be excused in advance if most of those notes were known already:

- First four people to Mars will cost $ 6 billion.
- 2023: First four people on Mars, one way mission: no return to Earth
- The founders of the MarsOne initiative apparently brainstormed over this idea for the last 15 (!) years. But this idea is not new. NASA floated the very concept back in the early 1990's.
- 2011/2012: MarsOne project start.
- Mission plan: fly multiple (8) supply missions first between 2016 and 2022. This includes landers, 2 rovers, a habitat modules and an orbital communications satellite.
- The rovers must assemble the habitat modules into one large habitat (basically: dock the Dragon-derived landers ('pods') to each other).
- The habitat pods will eventually be buried under 5 meters of Mars sand to protect them - and the astronauts - from radiation.
- MarsOne has multiple advisors coming from both NASA and the aerospace industry.
- A lot of research will be needed to establish the technical feasibility of the MarsOne proposal (What!? They haven't done that yet?)
- To make the project financially viable an enormous media campaign needs to be initiated.
- The MarsOne project does not believe in government-funding. Clear goal is to let the market do all the money-making.
- Subsequent crew missions (after the first one) will cost US$ 4 billion each.
- Crew on Mars must 'live off the land' to the furthest extend possible.
- First crew: two male, two female
- First crews are discouraged from propagating (Yes, someone actually asked them that question) because the risks of such action is unknown.
- Travel time to Mars is 8 months.
- Crew selection process exists of several rounds. Round 1 had recently begun.
- Over 30,000 applications in the first week of round 1 alone.
- Purposes of MarsOne: create a mini-civilization (colonization) on Mars and do lot's of research.
- Media exposure for the project must generate a substantial amount of the money needed to make it happen. The money generated by the media exposure for the 2012 Olympic Games is used as an example.
- MarsOne seriously expects that media exposure will be able to raise the US$ 6 billion needed for the first mission.
- There will be no maximum age for astronaut applicants. At least, not in the first round of selection. There is a minimum age of 18 years.
- Identified risk: after a successfull first mission the public's attention might fade away, much like happened to Apollo after Apollo 11. Mars One acknowledges that could, in worst case scenario, leave the project unable to send re-supplies after the first four astronauts have landed on the Red Planet.
- Religion has no role in the MarsOne project (yes, someone actually asked them that question).


The above is as far as the content of the presentation is concerned. Below you'll find my personal impressions:
- The presentation was messy and ill-prepared. Bad thing for a PR officer.
- The entire project looks highly unrealisitic IMO.
- Very little technical details were given. Upon my asking the MarsOne representative had to admit that almost none of the details have been figured out; as indicated by the fact that a basic technical feasibility study has yet to be performed.
« Last Edit: 05/06/2013 05:33 pm by woods170 »

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #457 on: 05/06/2013 07:41 pm »
This Friday May 10th, at 2 - 3:30pm PDT, Bas Lansdorp is appearing on The Space Show. So a good opportunity to raise a number of the points on this thread and see if there's any substance behind Mars One.

I'll be interested to see if all the publicity they've had in recent months has made any difference to their fund raising.

Offline Oli

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #458 on: 05/06/2013 09:06 pm »
The things new to me:

Quote from: woods170
- The habitat pods will eventually be buried under 5 meters of Mars sand to protect them - and the astronauts - from radiation.

- A lot of research will be needed to establish the technical feasibility of the MarsOne proposal (What!? They haven't done that yet?)

- Mars One acknowledges that could, in worst case scenario, leave the project unable to send re-supplies after the first four astronauts have landed on the Red Planet.

- 5 meters? The inflatables AND the pods? Sounds like a lot of dirt to move...

- I think they said its doable with current technology, but not that research would not be needed to make it reality.

- That's the first time I heard them admit that, well, I guess life expectancy on mars will be short then.


Clearly the lack of money will bury this project, but we should be fair. Their public presentations may not be particularily good, but the team is small and the workload probably immense. And they certainly aren't totally incompetent in selling this folly, considering the publicity they got so far (which won't be enough but still).

« Last Edit: 05/06/2013 09:08 pm by Oli »

Offline Oli

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Re: Mars One Discussion Thread
« Reply #459 on: 05/07/2013 07:59 pm »
So I took a look at the traffic stats of the mars-one site. After an initial peak they currently have a daily reach of 0.01%.

Nasaspaceflight.com has approx. 0.001% and nasa.gov  0.15%.

A site like cnn.com has around 1.5% daily reach.

Its not too bad, but I would say they need a factor 100-1000 more. Of course their site is currently just a list of application videos, not particularily attractive.


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