Mars One Essay

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The idea of space colonization has been found in books and movies for many years, but these fantasies will soon become a reality. One day, Earth will become uninhabitable due to a collision with a large comet or asteroid or from the inevitable explosion of the sun. In the case of such an event, human displacements will need to take place and the most probable destination will be somewhere in space. Mars One is a Dutch nonprofit organization founded in 2011 by Bas Lansdorp and Arno Wielders, and this organization has initiated a project with the idea of future human displacement in mind. The nonprofit intends to initiate space colonization by establishing the first permanent human settlement on Mars by the year 2024. The idea of a one-way trip …show more content…

Astrophysicist Ethan Siegel believes that Mars One is a spectacle of a mission that has been doomed from the start. Siegel finds the landing to be a major obstacle in the project, as we do not have the technology to land multiple humans on the red planet yet. In addition, Siegel believes the projected cost is underestimated by a couple billion dollars, which would put the mission in jeopardy. Space blogger Amy Shira Teitel asserts that Mars One does not have the proper technology to carry out the mission and that its crew selection process is flawed. Teitel states that there is not a spacecraft capable of transporting humans into space and landing them safely on Mars. Furthermore, even if there was a spacecraft able to land the crew safely, the astronauts might not survive for long due to lack of skills. Mars One is taking ordinary citizens, with little to no background in science, up into space and expecting them to exercise scientific tasks. Another issue that has been overlooked is the psychological effects of a one-way trip. Cognitive neuroscience researcher Chris Chambers analyzed the possible effects the crew members could suffer from due to the conditions of isolation and confinement they will find themselves in. Depression, insomnia, and suicidal and psychotic thoughts are some of the consequences that can arise from their isolation. Whether Mars One is ignoring these issues or not, the consequences would be detrimental to the

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