New Mars Forums

*Well, that puts a finer line on the matter [robotics isn't my strong suit, apparently]    Yes, I suppose what you foresee could work.

--Cindy

*Hmmmmm.  I don't think robotic pets could replace real ones.  I suppose a carnivorous animal may be more expensive to keep than a non-carnivorous one.

Robotic pets would require cost, too:  The parts, upkeep, repairs, etc.  I suppose a person wanting a robotic cat would like for it to have false fur, false eyeballs (where will you get those on Mars?  Would have to ship them in from Earth, I suppose), and rig up a way for it to say "meow." 

To be honest, I don't know which is the better ::financial:: option for settlers or colonists.

As for astronauts on missions, I do think a cat as a pet would be the best option [as I outlined in my last post in this thread].

--Cindy

*I guess I'm one of those "it's the little things which count" kind of people.

In regards to the morale of the first astronauts going to Mars, they will spend roughly 3 years away from home, right?  I know I'd miss having a cake and flowers for my birthday.  Though I'm not religious, I do enjoy decorating my home for the winter holiday season (actually, the Pagan festival of Yule, i.e. the Winter Solstice, preceded Christianity).  And I can't imagine not having a turkey with sweet potato casserole and all the trimmings for Thanksgiving.  Sure, I know the astronauts will understand before the leave on the mission that they must, in great part, leave these indulgences behind...but understanding and desire are two different things.

Each astronaut will have his or her special holiday observances they will miss, in accordance with their national, religious, ethnical backgrounds, etc.

I suppose there can be "cyber-observances" via computer, e-mail, downloads, etc.  It would be better than nothing, but still a bummer to think about.

--Cindy

*Agreed.  Even though vasectomies and tubal ligations have, in some cases, been successfully reversed, many more have not.  Maybe an option for our future astronauts to Mars would be sperm and ovary retrieval and cryostorage prior to vasectomy/tubal ligation.

--Cindy

*I'm a medical transcriptionist with 15 years' experience.  Many women have problems with birth control pills.  Yes, it's been approved by the FDA and other authorities...so are many drugs which are later taken off the market, such as Serzone (an antidepressant) recently.  Serzone was available on a prescription basis for years.  Now, because of liver damage studies, it will no longer be manufactured.

I am amazed birth control pills haven't been yanked off the market a long time ago.  I suppose enough women don't have problems with them to keep them considered "safe enough"...however, after all the hospitals and large multispeciality clinics I've worked in, let's just say if I were an astronaut and the bigwigs told me I had to take birth control pills "or else," I'd tell them to take those pills and shove it. 

--Cindy

*Adrian:  I heard on a news show a few years ago that London police don't carry guns, just night sticks.  Is this true? 

If so, then a level of gun control (whatever of it you have in the UK and Europe) must work...it's difficult for this USA citizen to imagine an American city comparable in size to London with police officers armed only with billy clubs and no guns.  Would be nice, though.

--Cindy

*Hi Byron.  Actually, I was surprised when I read Rob S's comments about Europa being smack-dab in the middle of Jupiter's (very dangerous) radiation belts.  I understand that Clarke, in his story, wouldn't want to get overly scientific in the telling of a science fiction tale; however, his story included humans landing on Europa.  I suppose he neglected to mention the lethal levels of radiation by taking "artistic liberty," but he's also a scientist.  I'm not sure he should have taken that much liberty in his tale-telling.  I'd had my hopes up for a manned mission to Europa in the future, most likely after I'm dead and gone.  Now I read about these lethal levels of radiation...you get the drift.  It behooves storytellers with backgrounds and degrees in science to be a bit more mindful of how they present a story, especially to an audience which is sure to contain a few persons genuinely interested in human space exploration.

--Cindy

*Perhaps a few specially-designed body-bags could be included on-board; "just in case."  Back in the "old days," particularly when mass, open-burial was the custom (such as in 18th-century Vienna), a newly-deposited corpse into the pit was covered with a shovelful of either salt or lime.  Perhaps with the body bags could be included a substance to be sprinkled over the corpse, which retards the decomposition process or at least neutralizes the odor.  The body-bag could be sealed and taken care of either on Mars (if they're en-route to it), via burial or leaving the corpse there; and likewise if en-route to Earth.  As to where to store the body until it can be taken off-ship, I don't know.  Since elbow-room will be at a premium in the ship, it would seem a bit unnecessary to allow a corpse to take up an entire room (even if a small room); however, it also seems disrespectful to not allow the corpse to rest with some dignity. 

--Cindy

*I don't want to sound the The Harbringer of Doom, but after having read both posts in this thread, I'll voice some concerns of my own:

Will, or have, the planners of Mars Direct/NASA look to the Apollo 13 incident in mapping out survival strategies en-route to Mars...or on return from Mars to Earth?  Yes, I know going to Mars versus going to the moom (Apollo 13) are two very different "ballgames."

Worst case scenario:  En-route to Mars with 4 crew members on board, one dies of a massive heart attack and another suffers a cerebral aneurysm and is now in a comatose condition and does not come out of it.

Yes, any space exploration is fraught with danger.  Yes, we need to take the chance in spite of the dangers, so long as we try and look ahead, and plan for any potential dangers or disasters.

But what will be the fate of that crew of 2 persons?  Could they go ahead with the mission?  If the mission cannot be aborted, can 2 people handle all tasks and responsibilities, or can some of the instruments be put on "automatic pilot"?

Can they use the gravity of Mars to sling-shot them back en-route to Earth, like the Apollo 13 astronauts did with controlled burns in order to avoid becoming captured by the moon's gravity (and thereby becoming a satellite of it) , and instead using the gravity in order to create a sling-shot effect to carry them away from Mars and back to Earth ASAP? 

There certainly must be some plans in the works for worst-case scenario situations.  I'd hope, anway.

Just wondering...

--Cindy

*Generally speaking, I'm not much of a "joiner." 

The first time I became aware of the Mars Society was in 5/2001.  "Astronomy" magazine's feature that month was Mars, particularly as Mars reached perihelion in summer (N hemisphere) 2001.  I was browsing through the magazine, and a tiny advertisement for "The Mars Society" caught my eye.  I knew this couldn't be a sci-fi buff organization (I've yet to see either "Astronomy" or "Sky & Telescope" magazines allow ads for sci-fi buff orgs...unless I've been missing them), and checked out the web site included in the ad.  I was impressed with what I read at the Mars Society web page; okay, these people are serious.  They don't believe in little green men on Mars, they aren't buzzing about the latest UFO sighting, etc.

I don't part with my money easily, but I felt this was a worthwhile exception to that rule. 

I've been very happy with my membership, and just renewed it this month.  However, unless one has internet access, their satisfaction with membership would probably be limited.  I've only received 3, maybe 4, items via snail-mail in the year I've been a member.  Sure, I understand they want to keep costs down (paper, supplies, postage), but obviously members with no internet access (or very little of it) are pretty much in the lurch.

I also agree with Adrian that they could "sweeten up" the deal for members; give them a cap or pen or lapel pin, etc., with the MS logo on it. 

I intend to remain a member of MS indefinitely, so long as it seems they're DOING and not just talking, certain standards are maintained, the web site is updated as frequently as it currently is, etc.

--Cindy

MS member since 6/01

*I can see your point.  I'm an agnostic (only because I can't PROVE there is or isn't a higher being/God/whatever).  Religion is out of the question for me.

As for "spirituality"...I do admire Taoism.  It's practical, simple yet very profound, straight-forward, and I feel it is right on-par with life.  I prefer to call Taoism a philosophy.

There's no evasion to it; no delusion; faith isn't a factor in it; there is no heirarchy within it (I'm the priest, you're a peon); there are no dogmas in it; it doesn't promote or encourage unrealistic attitudes or "goals".   

But to each their own.

--Cindy

No, I'm not an anarchist.  I just think that any notions of claiming land should wait a long, long time.

The piece of paper sent me expresses a sentiment of dividing up the land -- already.  And though this piece of paper has no intrinsic value whatsoever, I want to see Mars keep in the "free and clear" for as long a period of time as possible.  There will be so much to explore and do, once humans get there.  The last thing we need are nations fighting over who's astronauts stepped on who's property, that region is off-limits unless you get permission from us, etc.  Sure, they cannot (I suppose) erect fences, and I don't know how they'd enforce "this zone is ours, that is yours"...but I just want that whole mess avoided for as long as possible. 

--Cindy

MS member since 6/01