Perhaps We Should Send *Women* to Mars and Not Men...?

[Sky Captain]

IMHO any long duration space mission will need artificial gravity so most of the issues asociated with living in zero G will go away. There is no point of sending astronauts to Mars if after 6 month trip they are so weak that they can't even walk with heavy space suit. If any country were serious about actualy going somewhere then there already would be small space station with artificial gravity. Something like Bigelow module with spent rocket stage as a counterweight wouldn't even cost that much and would provide estremely valuable data about living in centrifugal gravity, a data that currently don't exist at all.

[Guardsman Bass]

IMHO any long duration space mission will need artificial gravity so most of the issues asociated with living in zero G will go away. There is no point of sending astronauts to Mars if after 6 month trip they are so weak that they can't even walk with heavy space suit. If any country were serious about actualy going somewhere then there already would be small space station with artificial gravity. Something like Bigelow module with spent rocket stage as a counterweight wouldn't even cost that much and would provide estremely valuable data about living in centrifugal gravity, a data that currently don't exist at all.

True. In fact, we don't have much data at all on how long-term exposure to low gravity (such as Mars and the Moon) affects the human body, as opposed to microgravity like in orbit. It'd be very valuable to do experiments like that at different levels of simulated gravity, just to find out.

[Sky Captain]

The beauty of getting data like this is we can see if your humble opinion is really right or wrong. We know there's some problems with zero g, but how many? Can we solve them?

Rotational gravity is something I'd definitely apply to any colonization effort, so not terribly concerned about zero g effects there. But, travel can be a pain with it, as can initially setting up a colony.

So, if we can solve these zero g problems, definitely want to.

Certainly it would be nice to solve issues about long term living in zero g, but it is not a complete showstopper that has to be solved before any Mars mission becomes possible. A centrifugal gravity should work, but it has never actually tested full scale and we know much less about living in centrifgal gravity and low gravity environments than we know about living in zero g. A full scale prototype in Earth orbit would provide invaluable data and experiance that's impossible to obtain aboard ISS. Even if humans have no unforseen issues about spending long time in centrifuge there certainly would be some technical bugs that has to be solved before whole system is ready for multi year missions yet there are no serious proposals about building a centrifuge space station.

[Sarevok]

ISS was supposed to have one module with centrifugal gravity. But it was cancelled due to budget reasons.

[someone_else]

Please re-read the article. There are changes in the optic nerve of the affected men

the effect is that they see well distant but bad when close. Altering the eye lens will correct the issue. May not cure the damage, but will compensate it.

If someone wants to move to Mars and live in a bunker, and is able to pay for it, what does it matter to you?

Nothing. But I tend to assume that they want the government to pay for their dreams. Maybe it's only me though.

As noted - there is already an Antarctic tourism industry.

My point was just that comparing Mars to Paris was horribly wrong.

Also - at the south pole you don't have to bring the air with you.

You have to take a heating system to avoid freezing your lungs though.

I'm not sure where you get the idea that only the US could do this, or can do this, or will be able to do this in the future.

You said it, matter of priorities. I have major troubles thinking of any nation other than the US or China giving enough shit about it to try. That because unless there is a SPACE GOLD RUSH (= they find Pandora and we go happily nuking civilizating the blueskins to take their gold for their own good), the only good reason to go in space is showing how cool your nation is.
Was like that back in the day of USSR, "THE REDS DID BETTER THAN US AAAAARGH!!!!!", not "let's do some science".
Only US and China nowadays have a so big Ego to brag around like that. Everyone else knows they are in deep shit regardless, and that going to the moon won't make them look better.

As for technical capabilities, it's not that hard. Any single First and a lot of Second world countries could do it.