Would you go to Mars?

[tdel]

First of all, sorry about my rambling and hopefully this hasn't been posted before (I searched for "would you go to Mars" and didn't find anything), but I'm curious...

So while sending Jeb to Duna the other day, I started thinking about what I would do if I was in his shoes. Considering that traveling to Mars, I would think in some ways, has parallels to Europeans traveling to the New World, I would expect that the people that go there have their own motivations and what not. So here's my thoughts and opinions, and I would seriously like to know how other people feel about the idea of traveling to Mars given these considerations:

1. with whatever necessary technology, you will (most likely) survive the trip there and (if you choose) back
   
2. the expedition will consist of less than 10 people you most likely have never met before being chosen for the trip (you don't get to choose any of them! And for argument's sake let's say it's equal men and women)
   
3. you can't come home until Mars and Earth are in alignment for a return trip (I'm going by my less-than-perfect non-sciency memory, but isn't it like 20-something years?)
   
4. the only interaction you can have with people on Earth is through phone and/or video calls
   

Here's my thoughts (and for the record, I'm 25) -- first the positive: Currently my two biggest interests in life and career possibilities are agriculture and aviation. Going to Mars involves both of those things in some way. Currently, I'm teaching students about nutrition and gardening. I think about what I want to do next, and I think it would be neat to work on an agricultural development project in a developing country. After that, maybe trying to farm at a research station in Antarctica, and after that... the moon... Mars? Obviously this probably won't all happen (maybe not even most of it), but it's fun to dream. The challenge and adventure of going to, living, and growing food on Mars is enticing, even if it's far-fetched. Plus there's the idea of being the first, and building something from absolutely nothing.

The problem is, however, that although I'm not married, I do want to eventually have a family. If I left for Mars today, I wouldn't be back until I was in my 50s. That makes having a family hard, unless it was with another crew member and on Mars, which brings up another point. I'd be seeing the same people for years. And years. It'd be like the Real World, only on Mars, and for YEARS. I'd be stuck with the same people, for better or worse, for a couple decades. THAT is scary. Plus, I couldn't visit my family or friends. At best, I'd just see them on a video screen, which would really suck. And finally, I kind of like Earth. Yes, it has it's problems, but I like all the rivers and forests and animals. There wouldn't be any of that on Mars. It's basically a desert. There's barely even an atmosphere... or water. Even with terraforming it wouldn't be the same.

So what would you do? I'm interested in what people's motives for going/not going and their ages. I would assume younger people would be more willing to "leave it all behind for adventure and science!" but maybe I'm wrong.

[Mecha Pants]

Return transfer windows come up WAY more often than once every 20 years, more like a little over two (the first one is about 1.5 years after arrival, and then one every 26 months after, if memory serves). That said, 3-ish years (absolute minimum, accounting for travel time both ways) in a hostile environment with 10 people I've never met before the mission training starts... I could do that to leave a mark on another planet.

Edited June 27, 2014 by Mecha Pants

[lajoswinkler]

Given the frequent transfer windows and enough safety, yes, absolutely. Right away.

[Seret]

You'd have to be mad not to, it'd be the adventure of a lifetime. I'm 38 and have a wife and two young kids. I'd miss a couple of years of them growing up, but I think they'd be proud of me for doing it and would understand why I took the chance.

If it was a one-way trip: no way.

[rhoark]

Mars is a sideshow. There's nothing there worth bringing out of the gravity well, and what little survivability advantage it has over deep vacuum is outweighed by the regular sandblasting.

I would be excited to take part in long-term colonization of the moon and Ceres.

[bdito]

I wouldn't. Even though it would obviously be an experience of a lifetime I know I couldn't handle being in a box with 10 people for 3+ years.

I'd love to do some kind of small duration spaceflight, but not mars.

[Skyler4856]

Of course

If nothing else, than I'd do it for this

Watch all of it....

[Kinglet]

Only with a warp drive. No transfer windows, fast travel, probably a awesome looking spaceship.

Sorry, I just had to do that.

[Victus]

....maybe. The perks are amazing but I'd miss so much, especially if the people who are on board are either very boring or just too different to me. I'd probably go space crazy if that were the case.

[Javster]

Same as above: maybe... Because when I came back 0.24 would have come out

Seriously, it would be a challenge, and the trip would be long and probably uneventful...

[WinkAllKerb'']

whenever if,

i would only care about the fact in wich ways i could be really usefull there for the group.

Edited June 30, 2014 by WinkAllKerb''

[spaceman1999]

I would if I could sign up for it! (I'm 14 years old)

[Bioman222]

*raises hand*

It depends on one thing...

Are said 5 women aboard with me single?

[velve]

Are said 5 women aboard with me single?

And attractive?

[KerbMav]

And attracted to you too as well, you might add ...

I gather the ladies would much rather help each other than resorting to "if there are no other men around" ...

Inter-gender relations (or "inter-gender" even!) in space are not very much debated publicly though?

[szputnyik]

I wouldn't go. I start getting homesick even if I only leave good old Hungary for a 2-week vacation. Mars would be a place where even good old Earth is nothing more than an occasionally visible faint star.

[How2FoldSoup]

I've talked to my girlfriend about this a couple times actually. Shes in school to become a doctor and I'm in school becoming a physicist/engineer which are both careers that would be desired in the event of colonizing a new planet. I would 100% go with only a moments hesitation to doublecheck that she is able to come with me. I'm waiting for Elon Musk to make it and hope that I can be right alongside him paving the way for the future. So, yes I would most definiately go to Mars. Besides with VASIMR coming along the trips could only take a little more than a month in another decade or two. That's just as long as it took the original immigrants to the Americas. It's not so bad.