Mission to Mars: How much risk is acceptable?
 

So, I was watching Nova on PBS. They were talking about the risks associated with a manned Mars mission. Assuming you were offered a seat, what odds of survival would you need to go?

I'd go no matter what
This would mark the most awesome thing mankind has ever done

How are the odds calculated? Long-term radiation exposure is a serious life-time cancer risk so that would have to get factored in too unless they are going to drag a lot of really heavy shielding along.

I lost interest in NASA at a certain point in life (family) due to 99% not being safe enough. 99.9% would have been good, maybe even a hair less.

I tend to agree.

I could die tonight driving home from the airport. Living in a huge city, I wouldn't even get a nod in the paper.

Go big or go home.

If they told me I had a 75% chance of making it round trip, successfully, I'd still give it a shot. But I can imagine it'd be a very lonely feeling knowing that even your voice would take some time to get home.

Waste of money!!

I'm not even going to start. Apparently you have no idea how many machines, and technology that we use on a daily basis originated from the Apollo and Shuttle missions.

I'd spend money for manned space flight any day over the millions of dollars of fluff that are crammed into legislative bills (inseminations of horses).

I'd do the flight to Mars.

Measure the gas discharge of cows. That was a good one. Or the study of field mice.

Toward the Unknown
 

In the early days of Project Apollo, astronauts estimated the odds for the first lunar landing mission as follows:
1/3 -- success
1/3 -- failure, but they get home
1/3 -- they don't get home

http://www.aiga.org/archivedmedia/pa...es_edwards.jpg

Thanks for that ray of sunshine.

I feel sad for people who don't understand what the space program is all about. I also have trouble really emphasizing with them at all, their outlook is so narrow and limited.

Human aspirations, dreams, and creativity are fundamental to getting the most out of the life we are given. I'd rather cut all welfare than lose the space program. Paying a bunch of lay-abouts to eat, ***, sleep, watch cable, and die is the waste of money...we might as well be herd animals if that's all we aspire to. Why bother thinking at all?