Monthly Archives: April 2013

Gerard O’Neill "The High Frontier"

“I don’t believe that when creative new enterprises begin to do surface operations on the moon, that they’re going to looking for ways to employ people. They’re going to be looking for ways wherever possible of doing it through, ah, observing with television and controlling with radio. With the operators sitting here, on the surface of the Earth. That’s the inexpensive way of starting out any industrial operation – whether it’s in nearby space, or whether its on the surface of the moon.”

(Keep in mind O’Neill was unaware of the abundance of near-Earth asteroids from which we can more easily obtain water-ice than on the moon; all lunar activities will only be telerobotic…it is also much less expensive and safer to test Martian equipment in chilled vacuum chambers on the Earth.)

"Space is for Lovers" Thank you Dennis Tito!


Dennis Tito: “We’re proposing a man and a woman, because this is humanity’s first flight out to Mars, and humanity should be represented by both genders.”

Taber MacCallum: “One crew’s good – but it doesn’t make any sense to have one person by themself, so, two crew…and Dennis said, “If it’s going to be two crew it is going to be a man and a woman.” And I said, “Alright.”

Jane Poynter: “One of the questions being asked is, you know, ‘why a man and a woman’? Why is that? Well…it really goes to the name of this mission. Inspiration Mars. And, to have a couple going that represents humanity – in the sense that, after all, humanity is essentially fifty-fifty, so, let’s have this crew be fifty-fifty, so we can all see ourselves in some way reflected in that crew. And I think that is especially important to our children. I mean, imagine a girl, getting a tweet from the female crew-member, as she is going by Mars for the very first time and, tweeting back, what she’s seeing and what she’s experiencing at that moment – and then looking back at Planet Earth at that Pale Blue Dot that’s now become indistinguishable from the rest of the stars. And telling those students and telling the rest of the world – that, that is where all life is as we know it, that, that is where all humanity is – I think this can be an extraordinarily inspiring discussion across millions of miles – because we really want America, the world, to be along for the ride on this mission, that’s an extremely important aspect of this mission, of the foundation’s mission and of the mission itself.”

“The idea that we have a man and a woman going on this mission is an important idea,” said Jane Poynter, the president of Paragon. She said her experience being part of the original Biosphere 2 crew with MacCallum (now her husband) demonstrated the importance of having a “trusted, tested couple” who can remain productive over a long journey.

“It’s also important that this is a man and a woman because they represent humanity,” she added, saying that such a crew could be inspirational to all children. “Whether they’re a girl or a boy, they see themselves reflected in that crew. And that is, after all, what makes this mission all worthwhile.”

“The idea that we have a man and a woman going on this mission is an important idea,” said Jane Poynter, the president of Paragon. She said her experience being part of the original Biosphere 2 crew with MacCallum (now her husband) demonstrated the importance of having a “trusted, tested couple” who can remain productive over a long journey.

“It’s also important that this is a man and a woman because they represent humanity,” she added, saying that such a crew could be inspirational to all children. “Whether they’re a girl or a boy, they see themselves reflected in that crew. And that is, after all, what makes this mission all worthwhile.”
We hope that we can find a married couple. When you’re out that far and the Earth is a tiny blue pinpoint, you’re going to need someone you can hug. What better solution to the psychological problems you’re going to encounter with that isolation?

Tito said some of the funding could come from the sales of sponsorships and media rights: “I can imagine Dr. Phil talking to this couple and solving their marital problems,” he joked.

http://www.space.com/19983-private-mars-mission-dennis-tito-interview.html
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Mars Artists Community: The most important benefits of space exploration are cultural. Not scientific. Not economic. Space exploration and settlement changes the way we think on Earth. Here, now. With a single decision Dennis Tito forced America and the world to rethink what it means to be human, how we envision space travel – how scientists, explorers, and artists depict future long-duration missions to Mars or elsewhere. Gone are the days of test pilots. Finished are single-minded neurotic self-absorbed “astronauts”. Cheesy science fiction with loud playboy captains and asexual robots will fade into oblivion.
In 2018 we can hope two people in love with each other will have sex in space, sleep naked next to each other, and enjoy one another’s company as mature human beings. This will transform the way we think about sexuality on Earth now. From repressed kids in cocooned suburbia to hypocritical adults clinging to abusive religions – billions of minds will recognize that two adults having sex for pleasure is normal and good.

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Marginally related but clever:

“My boyfriend of 7 years and I are both physicists. 

Here’s how he proposed to me.”