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I suspect there are substantial numbers of us in our 70's+ who would volunteer. Why not go out having made an amazing contribution?
by ridgeguy 4mo ago
I suspect there are substantial numbers of us in our 70's+ who would volunteer. Why not go out having made an amazing contribution?
- adonovan 4mo agoI'd be surprised if there's a single person alive who would volunteer for a suicide mission to a miserable cold dark planet and could travel there for nine months in a tin can through a harsh radiation/muscle atrophy/psychological environment and arrive in any condition to conduct useful scientific work.
- WalterBright 4mo agoSuppose one had a diagnosis of 1 year to live. Why not expend it doing something great?
- adonovan 4mo agoLike enjoying earthly pleasures? The terminally ill do not make good astronauts.
- WalterBright 4mo agoI'm not at all suggesting anyone would be forced into this.
- adonovan 4mo agoUnderstood. My point is that the job requirements are almost mutually exclusive: must be physically and mentally fit enough for arduous travel and harsh work, yet basically suicidal.
- WalterBright 4mo agoI've been excoriated for making that suggestion.
- sl-1 4mo agoCan we trust them to enough? If they have a medical emergency (which is quite probable, old people are in risk of all kinds of trouble, even before the harsh environment of spaceships), will the whole mission fail? We generally have selected the most vigorous military personnel to participate in these types of missions, using old volunteers would be quite a change.