Cheap Astronomy - Dear CA Ep. 135: Going Nuts

Are we really ready? Hosted by Steve Nerlich. From Dec 1, 2025. Cheap Astronomy tries to stay sane on a trip to Mars? Dear Cheap Astronomy – Will we just go nuts on a two-year mission to Mars Well, we might if the space radiation doesn't kill us first. As we may have noted in previous episodes, current timelines for when we'll land on Mars seem to take little account of the fact that there are many mission components we don't even have conceptual solutions for let alone anything flight-tested or even prototyped. So current aspirations of having footprints on Mars in the 2030s are just aspirations.   Dear Cheap Astronomy – Will we just go nuts on a two-year mission to Mars, Part 2 In the last episode, we discussed the mental duress involved in sending a crew of up to five on a two year mission to Mars – which is 7 months each way with an extended stopover in the middle, with the whole experience involving relentless exposure to the risk of imminent death, and where radio delays with Earth may stretch out towards 20 minutes, enhancing the whole experience of isolation and helplessness.   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].