Space Travel- Does it HAVE to be a round trip?

[Kelaan]

Would you be willing to go on a one-way, colonization mission to Mars, to live out the rest of your days in a habitat conducting experiments and gradually expanding a base?

Not in this body. I'd prefer to get heavily augmented and biomodified before going to another planet.

If we ever figure out how to digitize consciousness, we can send seed ships of vat-grown bodies for labor and upload You once they get there.

[Skye1013]

^Gogo Avatar?

[cerwillis]

Would you be willing to go on a one-way, colonization mission to Mars, to live out the rest of your days in a habitat conducting experiments and gradually expanding a base?

Not in this body. I'd prefer to get heavily augmented and biomodified before going to another planet.

If we ever figure out how to digitize consciousness, we can send seed ships of vat-grown bodies for labor and upload You once they get there.

I'd much prefer a mechanical body anyhow.

[fudomyou]

Although I would probably try to smuggle a cat along.

Sweet, do you think we could cryogenically freeze you for a few million years to see what happens to the cat?

[Shyrtandros]

No thanks..

#1) Lag and connection issues are bad enough for people ON the planet
#2) The dating world is already hard enough.. let alone dating on ANOTHER world..

[Sagara]

But... but... Green-Skinned Space Babes!!

[bldavis]

long distance relationships ftw!

[Amirya]

One thing that's always annoyed me is the need for everyone to be a scientist of some sort.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the why.

But if you're looking at a true colonization, wouldn't you also want the "average" people? Math teacher, shopkeeper, farmer, housewife? These people would, I think, have some valuable insights. They don't plan their lives/careers for a mission to outer space, they may not necessarily have the psychological adjustments to it, but it gives more variety to compensate, wouldn't it? After all, if we have a giant nuclear explosion of whatever tomorrow, and the planet has to be evacuated within a month, would they send as many as possible to save, or just the scientists?

Edit: Also, I'm rambling.

[Daeren]

Well, you want to bring people to be able to maintain the complexeties of colonization, but I see your point. You would probably want a variety, but (excuse me if this is coming off in the wrong way) you would want to bring the upper half of the population in regards to intelligence. If you can choose, why not?
And even then you would probably want to screen for major genetic defects. With such a small population, spread of defects can be a problem in addition to de novo mutations.

Would you rather bring a below average math teacher or one of the better ones? Physicians, wouldn't it be better to bring the ones that are able to adapt to new environments and think new? Farmers with ways to think of how to grow crops more effectively.

[Amirya]

This is true, but I wasn't talking about average intelligence. I was more aiming towards average careers or average lives.

Would you want the below average physicist, or a physics teacher who isn't below average, but felt more driven to teach others?

[cerwillis]

Ami,
I think that you question separates the problem into two parts:

1. What type of support crew would you need to sustain the colony?
2. What type of people would you want to repopulate the humane race?

In the first case, you would have a very specific set of guidelines, roles to fill. The second question would be the tough one. Would you want pacifists so that they wouldn't kill each other, or military types that would be able to handle any adversity that was encountered. Farmers, or IT Specialists? Medical Doctors or Professors?

I liked how Avatar and especially Pandorum addressed this.

[Arnock]

It depends on what stage we're talking about in this 'colony'


From what it seems to me, it looks like the author of the article was specifically referring to sending scientists over for research purposes, and just not giving those scientists a ticket home. If this were the case, the 'colony' would bare more in reseblance to the research stations down in antarctica than jamestown, and the residents would be limited to scientists and the bare minimum amount of people needed to maintain the station.

However, later down the line, once the goal shifts from research to actual colonization efforts, by all means they should send more than just scientists.


In order for this sort of idea to work in general, however, there probably would have to be some sort of heavy duty 'construction robots' sent ahead of time to begin setting up the facilities.

[cerwillis]

It depends on what stage we're talking about in this 'colony'


From what it seems to me, it looks like the author of the article was specifically referring to sending scientists over for research purposes, and just not giving those scientists a ticket home. If this were the case, the 'colony' would bare more in reseblance to the research stations down in antarctica than jamestown, and the residents would be limited to scientists and the bare minimum amount of people needed to maintain the station.

Ever since this thread started I've been looking for an image of Don Cheadle from Mission to Mars, where they don't really explain how he is living with the windows open.

Found it:

[Dorvan]

I don't even know why anyone is talking about a colony...a hypothetical first one-way manned mission to Mars would not have as it's goal the establishment of a permanent colony based on only the member of the first trip. At best, they'd be a first wave trying to lay the groundwork for a station that supports two-way travel. Much more likely, they'd simply be setting up a scientific outpost there, which may or may not be continued at that location after their deaths.

[Amirya]

Ami,
I think that you question separates the problem into two parts:

1. What type of support crew would you need to sustain the colony?
2. What type of people would you want to repopulate the humane race?

In the first case, you would have a very specific set of guidelines, roles to fill. The second question would be the tough one. Would you want pacifists so that they wouldn't kill each other, or military types that would be able to handle any adversity that was encountered. Farmers, or IT Specialists? Medical Doctors or Professors?

I liked how Avatar and especially Pandorum addressed this.

I vaguely remember Avatar, tall blue monkey people representing the indigenous Native Americans, and the humans representing the European colonists who wanted to destroy ways of life. Or something like that. Never saw Pandorum.

But you're right, it does ultimately break down into two parts. Also, I don't disagree with the first case - support crew does need to be specific, or a bad break would wipe out the colony.

In the second case, why does it have to be one or the other? Military types can handle adversity, but that doesn't mean they'd need (or want!) to start picking fights with their neighbours for the hell of it. IT specialists would probably fall under support; farmers would be needed to grow crops to feed the colony. Doctors to treat the colony. Professors to instruct the young (or eager). Police to maintain order; firefighters to keep disasters under control. Even the stay at homes, to help raise the children. Clergy for faith. Ranchers for livestock. Even lawyers to draft and interpret laws.

Now sure, you might not want to send NASA scientists, space marines, and a couple dozen farmers over right away. But in the end, wouldn't you still want them all?

Edit: Because, Dorvan, colonization was mentioned in the very first post, and it kind of exploded.