NASA's one-way human space missions

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jul/19/nasa-space-exploration-volunteers

by Torn • 17 years ago

2 4 17 years ago

guardian.co.uk

Torn• 17 years ago

"You would find no shortage of volunteers," said John Olson, Nasa's director of exploration systems integration. "It's really no different than the pioneering spirit of many in past history, who took the one-way trip across the ocean, or the trip out west across the United States with no intention of ever returning."

NASA's John Olson compares such missions to pioneering sea voyages of past ages to explore new continents.

The article also hints at 'multigenerational space arks' for very long voyages, which raises some pretty profound ethical questions for children born and raised into these missions.

gaius• 17 years ago

No more so than the Pilgrims agonizing over whether they ought to have kids after landing in New England.

Really, in all scientific fields, those with the "profound ethical questions" are contributing nothing, they do no science themselves, they just feel entitled to pontificate. I say that the price of sitting at the table is to actually be a practitioner.

ErrantX• 17 years ago

> hich raises some pretty profound ethical questions for children born and raised into these missions.

Perhaps. Though how much more so than a couple who decide to emigrate from the UK to New Zealand (which is quite common).

Yes it's slightly more of a trip: but I think the ethical questions are ones you will find some people unworried by (enough to populate such a ship). At the end of the day that's all that's needed.

BrentRitterbeck• 17 years ago

I'm afraid of flying. Every single time I have flown, I've had severe tremors to the point that I couldn't even hold a beverage. With that said, if I was offered the chance to do something like this, I don't think I could turn it down.

NASA's one-way human space missions

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