There’s a lot of buzz in the blogosphere surrounding a former NASA engineer’s recent suggestion that a manned mission to Mars would be much easier if we didn’t worry about bringing the astronauts back.<\/p>\n
Jim McLane worked at NASA for 21 years, and noted the difference between Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts:<\/p>\n
\u201cCosmonauts are primarily pilots, and like test pilots, they are very focused on getting the job done. The current American astronauts are picked for things such as their speaking ability and social skills, and most of them have advanced degrees. But the cosmonaut struck me as an adventurous, get-things-done-type person, like our original astronauts back in the 1960\u2019s.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
McLane refers to his proposal for a “get-it-done” Mars mission as the “Spirit of the Lone Eagle,” referring to Charles Lindbergh\u2019s solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927. He argues that a small crew size (he suggests only one person) would make the mission cheaper and less complicated by reducing the need for supplies. The greatest savings in cost and engineering, however, comes from eliminating the need to launch off Mars to return to Earth. A one-way spacecraft would be much less complicated to build.<\/p>\n
Despite sounding a lot like a suicide mission, he doesn’t feel that there would be any shortage of volunteers:<\/p>\n
“There would be tremendous risk, yes,” said McLane, “but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s guaranteed any more than you would say climbing a mountain alone is a suicide mission. People do dangerous things all the time, and this would be something really unique, to go to Mars. I don\u2019t think there would be any shortage of people willing to volunteer for the mission. Lindbergh was someone who was willing to risk everything because it was worth it. I don\u2019t think it will be hard to find another Lindbergh to go to Mars. That will be the easiest part of this whole program.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
He speculates that the first person on Mars might eventually be rescued by a subsequent return-trip mission, or might become the first Martian colonist and help clear the way for other settlers.<\/p>\n