Space & Astronomy

Astrophysicist doubts feasibility of Mars One

By T.K. Randall
March 18, 2015

Image: Humans on Mars
Credit: Pat Rawlings / (PD) NASA Lead by Dutch entrepreneur Bas Lansdorp, the ambitious project is seeking to not only send humans to Mars within the next ten years but to also set up a colony there so that these pioneering explorers can live on the Red Planet on a permanent basis.

The feasibility of the endeavor however has been mired in doubt right from the beginning on the basis that even NASA, with all its knowledge and experience in manned space exploration, wouldn't be able to attempt such a feat for several decades.

Astrophysicist Joseph Roche, one of the volunteers shortlisted to be part of the mission, has expressed his doubts over whether the project's organizers are truly aware of what is involved."The time might have come for Mars One to acknowledge the implausibility of this venture and turn their efforts towards supporting other exciting and more viable upcoming space missions," he said.

The organization is planning to send a satellite to Mars within just three years, a rover by 2020 and the first humans by as early as 2025, all without any real experience with space missions.

"It will take quite a bit longer and be quite a bit more expensive," said physicist Gerard 't Hooft. "When they first asked me to be involved I told them: 'You have to put a zero after everything.'"

Source: The Guardian

Tags: Mars One