Do you think anyone that plays KSP will actually become an astronaut?

[sojourner]

Elon Musk plays - in real life!

[astropapi1]

Not an astronaut, but I'm going to study Aerospace Engineering, as my user title suggests.

[boxman]

@Geschosskopf

The only thing that stands between a human landing on Mars is funding and that has been the case for quite some time. If the funding was like in 60s then we would most likely already have a small colony or at least base on Mars.

The propolsion is already there and would afaik take about a year.. The only real issue is how to deal with radiation and zero gravity over such long period of time.

And about gravity on Mars... No one knows what kind of effects lower gravity will have on our bodies. It might not be anywhere near as bad as zero gravity.

[Geschosskopf]

@Geschosskopf

The only thing that stands between a human landing on Mars is funding and that has been the case for quite some time. If the funding was like in 60s then we would most likely already have a small colony or at least base on Mars.

Look, I'm not trying to start an argument here. I'm just calling it as I see it in answer to the OP's question. I seriously doubt that anybody who's not already an astronaut will be one in 10 years.

I'm in no way denying that we can, with current technology, send a handful of people in a minivan-sized ship pretty much anywhere we want. We might, with some luck, even be able to bring them home. And if THEY'RE lucky, they might be able, with full disability pensions and the medical resources of a superpower footing the bill, to live some semblance of a normal life afterwards.

That's not the point. The point is, doing such a mission has no point. What can these few people do at the destination that a machine can't do better, WAY cheaper, for decades longer if need be, and need WAY less delta-V to get there? There are only 2 answers to this question. The 1st is "nothing". The 2nd is "pose for a picture while planting a flag", which is a special case of "nothing". And the ONLY human beings who would ever derive any tangible benefit from such a mission are the ex-spouses of the astronauts. who would now have full custody of the kids and no more alimony or child support payments. So PLEASE HELP MY EX-WIFE GET TO MARS .

[Sma]

AdAstra is working on an engine called VASIMR, which is similar to ion engines. There are plans to use it on a ship to go to Mars, and their plan calls for I believe about a 3 month flight there, and apparently if something goes wrong along the way they can turn around and come back where as with current tech you'd have to go all the way to Mars and then come back. There is still the problem of radiation due to radiation, though they're coming up with plans for blocking that as well.

As for the amount of effort it would take to get a sizable population to Mars to colonize it, the Skylon space plane that's on the drawing board can carry about 30 people I believe in it's cargo bay. To answer the problem of getting the hardware to space, there are a few companies working on 3d printing in space, one company is planning on sending a specialized 3d printer to ISS. At first it'll be small things like tools the astronauts can use, but the concepts developed can be expanded, raw materials can be mined, possibly robotically, then processed in what would amount to an orbital shipyard. While it does sound scifi, it's pretty much all with in our technological grasp. As far as why should we do it? It's what we do, we point somewhere and say "I wonder what's there?".

[HeadHunter67]

There already are KSP players who are astronauts. It's the kind of game that appeals to people in the space program.

[CtrlAltEL1TE]

I think so... there are certainly people who already play from spacey backgrounds I.e the guys from copenhagen suborbital and I remember a could of NASA mission controllers a while back.

I know a few of us on here are also involved in aerospace in general. Id love to do the whole flying think but due to **** genes im afraid ill always be the bloke on the ground making sure the craft doesn't fall out the sky for no reason.

[Sabastian]

I'm not an astronaut, but I do fly regularly as a private pilot and for my job as a flight test engineer. I've been in love with both air and space flight my entire life, and even though I was through college and grad school before I even discovered KSP, I still get an incredible amount of enjoyment out of the game. I've gotten a couple of my aero-engineering friends to check it out...it's like Legos for nerds :-D

[0jam3290]

Not an astronaut, but I'm going to study Aerospace Engineering, as my user title suggests.

Same here. I'm hoping to work for SpaceX/NASA in a few years when I'm done with the rest of school. In fact, I have Kerbal to thank for my career choice/new obsession. I mean, I've always been kinda interested in space/NASA thanks to my dad, but I didn't get REALLY in to it until I found KSP.

[Tom K.]

Lol, my goal in life is going to space from the moment I found KSP!

[Astronomer]

Pffftts, and what am I supposed to do when I become an astronaut? Be a lab rat inside the International Space Station or another?

Please man, I can go have an f'in picnic by the beach at Laythe as I watch Jool slowly move beyond the horizon - I don't need to be an "astronaut".

[BeefTenderloin]

KSP has completely altered my career choices, and has led to me taking the relevant GCSEs, and in future, A and AS levels pertaining to astrophysics. I'd quite like to either be a professor of astrophysics, or work as part of a university research team.

[Pinkieseb]

I've wanted to be an astronaut since I was 3... Im a 13 year old Australian and this game has actually taught me more about space! Anyone think I'll make it? Haha

[nimbim]

I quit Korean Studies to start with Physics next semester, I'd say KSP helped me remind myself that I'm more into natural science.

[Torham234]

Sadly, for some of us it may be a bit late. I would have to quit my current job and get about 20 years younger .

[boxman]

@Geschosskopf

Even though I respect your opinion, i would have to say that i disagree. But agree that this is not the thread for such a debate.

[astropapi1]

Well, I was going to study Architecture... Until I took a rocket to the knee.

(Thanks Squad! )

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

If No one hires me...

Then god damn it I'll get up there myself

[Silicon014]

I think it might happen, as KSP can inspire teachers to teach rocket science, it can inspire people to make space related art, it helps us all dream of the stars.

So yes, one day, someone who had curiosity as to what's out there in space kindled by KSP will look down at Earth, and smile

Thats funny. That's my career plan right now. I'm at MIT studying Aeronautical Engineering and Physics to go into NASA or SpaceX, then after my career, I want to go teach somewhere