I saw this idea was mentioned in some of the major media outlets, and I thought it might be of some interest here.
Perhaps these rocky economic times mean it is now time to get really imaginative and innovative to achieve a manned mission to Mars - how about a one-way trip, completely financed by private industry?
There is a pretty detailed proposal for just such an endeavor, amazingly enough. The idea does seem to make some sense, after all, explorers of ages gone by had no real expectations of ever returning to their homelands, most probably never did.
Are there people in the world today who would be just bold, daring and crazy enough to seize the opportunity of legendary immortality by becoming the first humans to colonize another planet?
I think so. They would have to give up a lot, but still i think there are people who would do it, just for the sheer ballsiness of the whole idea. There are certainly enough eccentric billionaires who would put their checkbooks on the line for it.
Richard Branson's already doing this with his plans to put anyone in orbit for a price. God knows he wasting a lot of cash in Formula One right now, he might as well take a shot at this, since this will give him a little bit of that bold immortality as well.
Seems to me this would also make a pretty good SF story. Maybe this story has already been written?
Anyway, here are some highlights on the idea, I recommend a look at the entire link as well:
A human mission to Mars is technologically feasible, but hugely expensive requiring enormous financial and political commitments. A creative solution to this dilemma would be a one-way human mission to Mars in place of the manned return mission that remains stuck on the drawing board. Our proposal would cut the costs several fold but ensure at the same time a continuous commitment to the exploration of Mars in particular and space in general. It would also obviate the need for years of rehabilitation for returning astronauts, which would not be an issue if the astronauts were to remain in the low-gravity environment of Mars. We envision that Mars exploration would begin and proceed for a long time on the basis of outbound journeys only. A mission to Mars could use some of the hardware that has been developed for the Moon program. One approach could be to send four astronauts initially, two on each of two space craft, each with a lander and sufficient supplies, to stake a single outpost on Mars. A one-way human mission to Mars would not be a fixed duration project as in the Apollo program, but the first step in establishing a permanent human presence on the planet. The astronauts would be re-supplied on a periodic basis from Earth with basic necessities, but otherwise would be expected to become increasingly proficient at harvesting and utilizing resources available on Mars. Eventually the outpost would reach self-sufficiency, and then it could serve as a hub for a greatly expanded colonization program. There are many reasons why a human colony on Mars is a desirable goal, scientifically and politically. The strategy of one-way missions brings this goal within technological and financial feasibility. Nevertheless, to attain it would require not only major international cooperation, but a return to the exploration spirit and risk-taking ethos of the great period of Earth exploration, from Columbus to Amundsen, but which has nowadays been replaced with a culture of safety and political correctness.
Conclusions
Self-preservation considerations in a dangerous universe and the human exploratory spirit compel us to explore space and colonize other planets. Mars is the planet in our solar system, which is reasonably close and provides an abundance of resources and shelter for such a colonization effort. Nevertheless, the first step for the colonization of Mars will be the most difficult. Here, we propose that the most pragmatic approach to achieve this goal is by establishing a small permanent robotic base followed by a series of one-way missions to Mars. The advantages of a one-way human mission are many-fold including a dramatic reduction of costs, the long-term commitment by the space agency, the public, and the crew, and that no rehabilitation program is needed for crew members when remaining on the low-gravity surface of Mars. The challenges are still monumental, though, foremost because political and financial long-term commitments have to be secured.
http://journalofcosmology.com/Mars108.html
Oh good you did read The Void! As I said, I have not read the finale. Without revealing any secrets of The Evolutionary Void, in your opinion, is there any similarity between the "singularity" and "Tipler's Omega Point"?
