[QUOTE]It sounds like a sci-fi movie but within 20 years humans could be sent to Mars to try to colonise the planet - without the chance of ever returning home. Skip related content
The idea is being investigated by Nasa as it looks at whether astronauts could be flown to the red planet, or its moons, with a view to staying there permanently.
The multi-billion pound project, called Hundred Year Starship, is being led by Nasa's Ames Research Centre, based in California.
It is estimated the cost of such a mission to the red planet could be more than £7bn and may be achieved by 2030.
The Pentagon has already contributed around £600,000 towards the plan and Nasa has put in another £60,000.
But Ames director Pete Worden is hoping for more cash and is trying to attract the world's billionaires to the project.
Among those who have been asked is Google co-founder Larry Page.
Mr Worden said: "We hope to inveigle some billionaires to form a Hundred Year Starship fund.
"The human space programme is now really aimed at settling other worlds. Twenty years ago you had to whisper that in dark bars and get fired.
He added: "Within a few years we will see the first true prototype of a spaceship that will take us between worlds."
Mr Worden said Mr Page had shown interest in the project.
"Larry asked me a couple weeks ago how much it would cost to send people one way to Mars and I told him $10bn (£6.3bn) and his response was: 'Can you get it down to one or two billion?'
"So now we're starting to get a little argument over the price."
Researchers have claimed such a human mission is technologically feasible and would be cheaper than returning astronauts to earth.
Their new study, in the Journal of Cosmology, found the costs of safely returning a crew would take up the majority of such a mission's budget.
Dirk Schulze-Makuch, an associate professor from Washington State University and Paul Davies, a physicist and cosmologist from Arizona State University, said four volunteer astronauts could undertake the first mission to permanently colonise Mars.
They said: "We envision that Mars exploration would begin and proceed for a long time on the basis of outbound journeys only."
They also said a mission to Mars could exploit hardware technologies developed for the Moon programme.
"One approach could be to send four astronauts initially, two on each of two spacecraft, each with a lander and sufficient supplies, to stake a single outpost on Mars.
"A one-way human mission to Mars would be the first step in establishing a permanent human presence on the planet."
Some experts say the price of sending 20 Mars settlers with a one-way ticket would be equal to bringing four astronauts back.[/QUOTE]
[url=http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20101028/tod-life-on-mars-one-way-ticket-to-red-p-870a197.html]Source[/url]
I heard that we could colonize Mars in 2030 4 years ago
Can't wait to join the colonial marines and hunt me some xenomorphs.
I hope that we find element zero on Mars.
I don't think anyone would want to do that.
I don't think they even need to frikin pay if its something cool like colonizing planets.
[QUOTE=iusehax;25701568]I don't think they even need to frikin pay if its something cool like colonizing planets.[/QUOTE]
You're not coming.
[QUOTE=iusehax;25701568]I don't think they even need to frikin pay if its something cool like colonizing planets.[/QUOTE]
Because all the thousands of people with a job involved in this project are going to do it for free right?
I think it's a bit cheap for NASA to donate 60 thousand pounds. It's like spare change to them.
it was $60,000, [B]₤[/B]60,000 would be equivalent to around $90,000
It would suck not being able to return. Earth is a million times better than mars.
ffs they should tie a rope on earth and then on mars and use it with cable cars and make transit systems
btw copyright (C) 2010 raydark
Why would the colonists want to be paid? It's a one-way trip; they'd never get to spend it!
[img]http://www.bestweekever.tv/bwe/images/2007/08/David%20Bowie.jpg[/img]
He's going to be there.
[QUOTE=The mouse;25701504]I don't think anyone would want to do that.[/QUOTE]
You'd be wrong.
Sign me up, I just hope they're willing to take someone who's 39 by that point.
No! You will BE KILL BY DEMONS
were do I sign up?
Well, the other thread said nothing about not returning. That's an interesting prospect.
I would go, but I would probably get really homesick
We need to send all our prisoners there, like a penal colony.
[editline]28th October 2010[/editline]
Mars is the new Australia.
I think I remember this exact article like 10 years ago
The fact that they didn't capitalize NASA bugged me.
I'd hate to be stuck on Mars for the rest of my life, seriously talk about boring.
[QUOTE=ChristopherB;25705532]Why would the colonists want to be paid? It's a one-way trip; they'd never get to spend it![/QUOTE]
They can donate it/give it to family back on Earth.
[QUOTE=nemmises5;25709361][b]were[/b] do I sign up?[/QUOTE]
I don't know, [b]where[/b] do you sign up? :colbert: Wanna go to space better get your brain cleared out and start grinding them science and literature books.
Article's wrong, they said that they might be able to colonize Mars' moons by 2030.
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