One Way Ticket to Paradise
I’m in seventh heaven, my place in the sun
Where I’ll stay until I get to kingdom come
All this temptation, all this desire
This celebration, baptism of fire
I’m on a one way ticket to paradise
I got a one way ticket to paradise
On Monday April 22, 2013, Mars One officially began accepting astronaut applications for their planned 2022 trip to Mars. So how far is the mysterious Red Planet from Earth? The answer is that it depends. Due to being closer, Earth can travel around the Sun in 365 days or a year, naturally. Mars being further from the Sun, requires 687 days to complete the orbit of the Milky Way’s magnificent luminary. Since both planets travel in elliptical orbits, the distance between Mars and Earth vary significantly; from 250 million miles at the maximum to as close as 35 million. Scientists place the average somewhere around 140 million miles. Mars One estimates the trip will take seven months, which includes a stop at the Space Station. If this bizarre and absurdly preposterous mission actually happens, let us hope that the distance calculations are sound as a pound. The few hopeful colonists who are selected, no doubt are betting on the diverse eclectic organization, which has ten years to prepare to pull off the mission. The organization includes a completely Dutch management team made up of entrepreneurs who will be assisted by advisors/ambassadors such as; Prof. Dr. ’t Hooft a Nobel Prize winning theoretical physicist, Prof. Pascale Ehrenfreund, PhD, the lead investigator with the NASA Astrobiology Institute specializing in biology and astrophysics, with special emphasis on the search for life on Mars, a host of scientists with far ranging specialties, and Paul Römer the co-creator and very first producer of the national and international versions of The Big Donor Show and the phenomenon that is Big Brother. Big Brother is of course a massive global success; an unprecedentedly popular television show that completely changed the way we think of reality television. Paul Romer brings a much needed skill set to the project because, as I am sure you have surmised by now, Mars One plans on turning this mission of creating a settlement on Mars into the ultimate reality television show.
Your fired, You have been voted off of the island, The tribe has spoken, Please pack your knives and go, I am sorry, you have been eliminated from the race, etc… Forget about it. The Mars Show would be metaphorically and literally out of this world!
But just as Ian Brown, the past and present front man for the Stone Roses, one of the most important English guitar pop bands of the 1990′s, warns in his song One Way Ticket to Paradise, All that glitters isn’t gold, you see there is a catch to the Mars One reality television show and it is not an insignificant one at that. Participants who are chosen only receive a one way trip to the Red Planet. The fine print, referring to the astronauts chosen for the mission, clearly states, “Mars becomes their new home, where they will live and work for what will likely be the remainder of their lives.” According to Mars One Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Bas Lansdorp, ”It’s likely that this will be their crematorium. It’s up to the people on Mars to decide what to do with their dead.” Wow! Apparently the cost of a return flight is prohibitive and even if funding were available the technology does not exist. Good news though for the would be space pioneers, no new technology is required in order to land Earthlings on Mars. Walking down the spacecraft steps may be an entirely different story though. I can see eager young lawyers at the Securities and Exchange Commission chomping at the bit to review the risk section of future Mars One securities registration statements, which no doubt will be forthcoming over the years prior to the launch. Mars One is a non-profit organization, however, there will be a for-profit component association with the Mars One Mission. The company has announced that to date 10% of the equity of Mars One has been sold to outside investors in order to raise required working capital. The non-profit owns the remaining 90% of the shares, though it is anticipated that this figure will continue to decline over time as the company grows.
With an estimated cost of $6 billion to successfully launch the first mission, Mars One better hope that the risk appetite amongst global investment managers returns to the glory days of the 1990′s. To say that this investment is highly speculative containing extraordinaire execution risk is royal verbosity. But the numbers may not be as crazy as one might think. The National Football League renegotiated their contract with the networks in 2011. The annual haul for the NFL is now over $3 billion for Sunday games. ESPN pays an additional $1.9 billion for the rights to broadcast Monday Night Football alone. What would NBC, CBS, ABC or FOX pay for the broadcast rights to a realty show on Mars? Who knows, but it would be theater beyond comprehension. A cross between National Geographic, Housewives of Beverly Hills and the James Bond thriller, Moonraker.
The press release announcing the commencement of the search process stated that Mars One has received over 10,000 inquiries over the past year. At the beginning of a four round process, Lansdorp elaborated, “We are very excited about launching the selection program. Round one is where we open the doors to Mars for everyone on Earth. This is an international mission and it is very important for the project that anyone anywhere can ask themselves: Do I want this? Am I ready for this? If the answer is yes then we want to hear from you,” Priceless! If You Please is wondering out loud just how many of the initial 10,000 are married.
“Gone are the days when bravery and the number of hours flying a supersonic jet were the top criteria,“ said Norbert Kraft, Mars One’s Chief Medical Director and former NASA senior researcher. “For this mission of permanent settlement we are more concerned with how well each astronaut lives and works with others and their ability to deal with a lifetime of challenges.” Might want to pack sufficient quantities of vodka and prozac, just in the off chance they may come in handy. How does Tang taste with Grey Goose anyway?
Round two will weed out non qualified candidates. During round three the aspiring colonists will be able to “market” themselves through social media sites set up specifically for the process. “SpaceBook” pages will allow individuals to express their motivations, qualifications and most importantly let the world know why they should be a “chosen one.” In helping guide candidates, Mars One has specified exactly what they are looking for, “Throughout the astronaut selection program, Mars One will select applicants who have good physical and mental health and show five key character traits: Resilience, Adaptability, Curiosity, Ability to trust others, and Creativity/Resourcefulness.” Honestly one could not create material this great out of thin air in a millenium. After round three the list of candidates will be whittled down to 24 — 40, when the audience will select the four “winners” in the final round four through a vote.
Never at a loss for the dramatic, the Dutchman Landsdorp, who founded Ampyx Power in order to develop a new viable method of generating wind energy, sums up the importance of the selection process, “In a 1000 years, everyone on Earth will still remember who the first humans on Mars were, just like Neil Armstrong has etched in our memories forever. This makes the selection of the first crew to a different planet a very important election; in my opinion more important than most elections. We hope the whole world will join Mars One in our democratic search of the envoys of mankind to Mars”
The Mars One website already has a merchandise tab where you can buy T-Shirts that say “Do you want to help us make the Mission to Mars a reality?”, posters with the line “Do you believe that science fact is even better than science fiction?”, Hoodies with the text, “It is really cold on Mars” and lastly children shirts that proclaim, “Martians have kids too!” The last of course, brings up a serious issue that to date has received little attention from the Mars One team, at least that If You Please can identify. Each mission will send two men and two women, but not couples. Thus reproduction would be feasible but not intended. Really? Not tonight, honey, I have a headache on Mars! What about the age old “safety first” dictum? Talk about being born in a tough spot. Makes one have flashbacks to the great Rolling Stones hit Jumping Jack Flash, I was born in a cross-fire hurricane. And I howled at my ma in the driving rain. But it’s all right now, in fact, it’s a gas! But it’s all right. Im jumpin jack flash, Its a gas! gas! gas!
All joking aside, Mick Jaggar is spot on when he roars about gases, which are clearly an issue on the Red Planet. Mars is composed mostly of carbon dioxide (95.3%), with nitrogen (2.7%), argon (1.6%) and oxygen only (0.2%). This obviously presents a serious problem for a Martian colonization. Humans, who are conditioned to survive in an environment with 99% nitrogen and oxygen leaving just 1% for carbon dioxide, simply cannot survive in such an atmospheric composition even if the air pressure were at sea level. Adaptation to increased levels of CO2 occurs in humans. Continuous inhalation of CO2 can be tolerated at three percent inspired concentrations for at least one month and four percent inspired concentrations for over a week. It was suggested that 2.0 percent inspired concentrations could be used for closed air spaces (submarine) since the adaptation is physiological and reversible. Overexposure in the 3% range can lead to death from a condition called hypercapnia where the level of CO2 in the blood system reaches biologically intolerable levels. The atmosphere on Mars has over 30 times the level of CO2 necessary to cause hypercapnia, not too mention little if any oxygen. Undaunted the Mars One website has the tagline, “Mars 2023: Inhabitants Wanted — Mars One will establish a permanent human settlement on Mars. We invite you to participate by sharing our vision with your friends, and, perhaps, by becoming the next Mars astronaut yourself.”
In less than twenty four hours, twenty six individuals have made the initial screen and have their preliminary “SpaceBook” (IYP phrase not from the company) pages up on the Mars One website.
Illona, a 23 year old woman from Finland, describes herself, “I’m a critically discerning cosmopolitan, identifying with a variety of roles and yet very few. As a bookish diplomat by nature, I choose to leave my heart and mind open and listen to the sounds of the world. I aim to live a long, hearty life, only rich in experience and knowledge, fueled by ideas, inspiration and questions. Beauty lies in human achievement. Through my person, I want to portray a generation of our time, a truly universal one, bold and borderless but not detached from its roots.”
“My name is Stephan Guenther, I’m 44 years young, german and I’m “breathing” space since I remember! I’m self employed as a flight instructor and as a software developer, be happily married and have 3 lovely kids. I developed several space flight simulations for PC, like an Apollo Simulator and a Space Shuttle Simulator, as the founder and owner of Space Dream Studios. My life goal is to fly into space, at least orbiting the earth.”
“I greet you ! My name is Anastasia, I am 20 years old and from Russia. I am a microbiologist, a poet and a dreamer. I have no bad habits, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or use of other drugs. I am a kind and sociable person with a good sense of humor that does not leave me even in bad situations. In addition, I have the persistence, tenacity and determination, and I am curious. I can sympathize with people and understand them.”
“Hello everyone! My name is Austin and I am very pleased to meet you. I am currently a 31 year old full-time college student at George Mason University in Virginia. My plan is to finish a B.S. in Physics, a B.A. in Philosophy, and an M.S. in Physics in five years, then a Ph.D. afterwards. I will use my education to answer questions about how the universe works and apply what I find to improving the world. I have an interesting history, but too much for this introduction. I look forward to telling you more.”
“I’m Beatriz, a 21 year old Brazilian Social Science student, I’m calm and quiet most of the time, but does not mean that I don’t know how to be strong when it’s necesserary. And I want to go to Mars because my curiosity and desire for the new drive me into the unknown. I want to be able to make reality what has always been just a childhood dream. And more than that, I want to make that dream something important to all the world! I want to be part of this that will be the first big step to conquer the universe!”
Judging from the Mars colony’s living quarters (pictured above), the requisite character traits articulated by Mars One; resilience, adaptability, curiosity, ability to trust others, and creativity/resourcefulness sound just about right. The long term vision, assuming everything goes according to plan, calls for additional landings, more colonists and a growing thriving civilization on Mars.
Just over fifty years ago on September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered a speech at the University of Rice in Houston on the United States Space Program and the moon landing mission. Eloquent and passionate as always the dashing young President delivered the stunning “Rice Moon” speech extolling the benefits of venturing into the beyond. His capsulation of the history of mankind as a way of illuminating the dangers of stagnant thinking was sheer brilliance from a brilliant man. Tragically JFK would be assassinated in Dallas a little over fourteen months later at the age of 46. When Neil Armstrong stepped out of Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969 and onto to the moon’s surface delivering the famous line, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, President John F. Kennedy had been dead for nearly six years. If an astronaut walks on the moon, but the man who had the vision to make the dream a reality is not there to see it, does he make a footprint? Grassy knoll theorists be damned, IYP say yes!
“Despite the striking fact that most of the scientists that the world has ever known are alive and working today, despite the fact that this Nation’s own scientific manpower is doubling every 12 years in a rate of growth more than three times that of our population as a whole, despite that, the vast stretches of the unknown and the unanswered and the unfinished still far outstrip our collective comprehension. No man can fully grasp how far and how fast we have come, but condense, if you will, the 50,000 years of man’s recorded history in a time span of but a half-century. Stated in these terms, we know very little about the first 40 years, except at the end of them advanced man had learned to use the skins of animals to cover them. Then about 10 years ago, under this standard, man emerged from his caves to construct other kinds of shelter. Only five years ago man learned to write and use a cart with wheels. Christianity began less than two years ago. The printing press came this year, and then less than two months ago, during this whole 50-year span of human history, the steam engine provided a new source of power. Newton explored the meaning of gravity. Last month electric lights and telephones and automobiles and airplanes became available. Only last week did we develop penicillin and television and nuclear power, and now if America’s new spacecraft succeeds in reaching Venus, we will have literally reached the stars before midnight tonight. This is a breathtaking pace, and such a pace cannot help but create new ills as it dispels old, new ignorance, new problems, new dangers. Surely the opening vistas of space promise high costs and hardships, as well as high reward. So it is not surprising that some would have us stay where we are a little longer to rest, to wait. But this city of Houston, this State of Texas, this country of the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. This country was conquered by those who moved forward–and so will space. I am delighted that this university is playing a part in putting a man on the moon as part of a great national effort of the United States of America. Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, “Because it is there.” Well, space is there, and we’re going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God’s blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked. We choose to go to the Moon, not because it is easy, but because it is hard”. JFK
A close friend of mine recently celebrated a significant wedding anniversary on Richard Branson’s Necker Island in the Caribbean. The English business magnate with a net worth north of $4 billion according to Forbes, just happend to be on the island. Always fascinated with air travel, Branson described his Virgin Galactic space travel service which is expected to launch over the next five years. The first flights are already booked according to Branson. But catching my friend’s attention, and subsequently mine after I heard the story, was the billionaire’s longer term view of commercial aviation. “Not in my lifetime, however, there will be a day when a flight from New York City to Sydney, Australia will take less than three hours as opposed to the current twenty plus hour trip.” Fly over the north pole? Think outer space. It does not take too long to reach a cruising altitude of 40,000 feet before maintaining that level around the globe. Branson’s vision has planes flying through the atmosphere, straight up then down at a slight angle. Besides time savings, think of the fuel savings. While it takes some “cowboy up” to reach 40,000 feet, getting to 100,000 requires just a “push”. To illustrate this point, the seven month flight to Mars averages over 25,000 miles per hour through weightless gravityless outer space. The Karman Line, commonly used to define the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space, lies at an altitude of 62,000 feet. I can “hear” the world’s second smartest insurance person according to his boss Warren Buffett, Ajit Jain calculating the premiums his Berkshire Insurance Company will be charging to insure space travel.
As our Nation mourns the tragic loss of life in Boston along with numerous serious life changing injuries as a result of the Marathon terrorist bombing, sometimes it is stories like Mars One, which help in a small way to put life in proper perspective. We struggle to makes sense of senseless acts. We look for answers to questions which have none. We so often lose sight of the forest for the trees. One of my favorite lines from the master investor Warren Buffett comes to mind when discussing space travel. When pondering what really lies out in the great beyond, is there life on other planets and where does Universe end? “It is not what you do not know that gets you into serious trouble in life, rather it is what you know to be true for sure that just ain’t so.”
Robert Frost, one of America’s more famous poets, captures the essence of man’s pursuit of the unknown with astounding insight in his timely 1962 poem;
But outer Space,
At least this far,
For all the fuss
Of the populace
Stays more popular
Than populous
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