To Boldly Go..And Never Come Back

Last fall, the Journal of Cosmology published an article by a couple of scientists making the case for one-way trips to the planet Mars. The idea so tickled the imagination of readers that 400 have written in to volunteer, according to FoxNews.com. The article, co-authored by Dirk Schulze-Makuch of Washington State University, and Paul Davies of Arizona State University, argue that humans must begin colonizing another planet to hedge against the possibility of a catastrophe that wipes out life on Earth. Schulze-Makuch and Davies say that the planet has sufficient resources for colonists to use to sustain themselves. But in order to keep the costs of any Mars colonization project manageable - reaching Mars would take about six months - they say the trips would need to be one-way. Not exactly the usual come-on you'll come across in a travel brochure. Still, the idea of adventure has stirred some with an urge to sign on the line which is dotted."I envision life on Mars to be stunning, frightening, lonely, quite cramped and busy," Peter Greaves, described as a jack-of-all-trades, told FoxNews.com. Greaves. "Unlike Earth I wouldn't be able to sit by a stream or take in the view of nature's wonder, or hug a friend, or breath deeply the sweet smell of fresh air -- but my experience would be so different from all 6 to 7 billion human beings ... that in itself would make up for the things I left behind." This all still remains theoretical, but one day might transmogrify into a concrete mission. So, if you think you've got the right stuff, NASA's astronaut application guidelines are online.

via To Boldly Go..And Never Come Back - Tech Talk - CBS News.