Sick Of Life On Planet Earth? You Could Move To Mars
“Are you prepared to die? If that’s OK, then you’re a candidate for going.”
Published for National Geographic, 18 Nov 2016, 04:18 PM
National Geographic Channel is bringing us an in-depth look at what life on Mars could look like for the first human colony
The ground-breaking 6-part miniseries is part fact and part fiction. The fictional portion follows the maiden crew of the Daedalus spacecraft as they attempt to establish the first sustainable colony on Mars. Catch the one-of-a-kind show on National Geographic Channel every Sunday at 10pm on Astro channel 553, and HD 573.
A mission to Mars may no longer be sci-fi as Elon Musk, the co-founder and CEO of Tesla Motors, plans to bring people to Mars and start a self-sustaining civilization.
The billionaire is best known for being the co-founder of SpaceX, PayPal, Tesla Motors, Hyperloop, SolarCity, and OpenAI.
Musk is a real-life Tony Stark a.k.a. Ironman, has been visited by Robert Downey Jr., and features heavily in Nat Geo's TV series on Mars.
In a speech about his company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), Musk described his hopes of setting up a human civilization on Mars within 40 to 100 years, and you could be part of it!
1. The chance of death is pretty high :O
"Are you prepared to die? If that's OK, then you're a candidate for going," Elon Musk said about the first voyage to Mars.
He also admitted that he wouldn't be the first man on the Red Planet as "the probability of death is really high on the first mission," and he'd like to see his kids grow up.
2. Even if you survive the journey, your body may never be the same again
A trip to Mars will likely cause you to lose 10% of your bone mass and/or suffer cataracts or nerve damage. Plus you'll be subject to space radiation and have to deal with extreme isolation. OMG.
3. The price of a ticket is around USD10 billion
CRAZY. But, Musk's goal is to bring that figure down to USD140,000, reducing the costs by making sure the rockets are renewable. This is something that's never been done before!
So if a price of ticket comes down to around RM600,000... That's the price of a condo in the Klang Valley. Start saving!
4. You're going to be riding in the BFR, which is short for Big F*cking Rocket
And it is really f*cking big... See this pic below. There's a man standing next to the mock-up of the BFR for scale. Right there. On the right hand side. That tiny blip.
5. With two moons, giant canyons, and the highest mountain in the entire solar system, you will have the most breathtakingly scenic selfies ever
It's believed that the stunning landscape of Mars was formed by the existence of water a long time ago.
6. You could be the CEO of an intergalactic pizza chain
If you've ever wanted to create something new and bold, Mars could be the place for you. The opportunities are endless, from building iron refineries to setting up the first pizza joint.
Elon Musk says there are going to be things on Mars that we can't even imagine today, which will be unique to Mars :O
7. Be prepared for a life with no toilets though
A lot of human issues haven't been figured out yet. This includes how humans will sustain life, stay healthy, grow food, block Mars' natural radiation, and even... how to dispose of human waste.
8. Pack lots of warm clothes because Mars is cold AF
The average temperature on Mars is -60°C.
On a "hot" summer day near the equator, temperatures can reach 20°C but will later plummet at night to -73°C.
9. You’ll have to wait 687 days until your next birthday, but hey, at least it slows down the ageing!
Martian days are about half an hour longer than Earth days. Doesn't seem like much, but it all adds up! That extra time means one year on Mars lasts 687 days :/
At least you'll stay younger for longer!
10. You're gonna have to dream BIG if you want to be chosen
Elon Musk is known for dreaming big, so if you want to be part of this you'll have to step out of your comfort zone.
For 40 years, NASA has been sending out rovers, orbiters, and landers to learn more about the planet. Most people still can't imagine living there, are you one of the special few who can?
11. You'll have to be patient and wait until 2030
SpaceX’s timeline to begin flights to Mars in 2023.
However chief scientist at NASA, Ellen Stofan, revealed that NASA's timeline of getting humans to Mars is in the early 2030s. They want to first be sure there is a path where humans can comfortably get there and back safely.
So why should you actually want to go to Mars?
A journey to the red planet may sound expensive and dangerous, but it's worth it. Here are three amazing reasons why Mars exploration is actually really important:
1. The Science
Mars had liquid water for a billion years. In theory, with the presence of water and significant time, life should have appeared on Mars. If we go there and find fossils, this can prove life is a natural phenomenon of the universe. Plus, by going to Mars, we can drill underground to where the water is because THERE MAY BE LIFE THERE.
2. The Challenge
In order for our society to grow we need to be challenged. A human journey to Mars would be the most challenging undertaking of our time, especially for the youth. If we are successful, we could be inspiring millions of young scientists, engineers, inventors, medical researchers and more!
3. The Future
In the past, people couldn't imagine what life was like outside of their village. Now we can fly across continents. Maybe in time, we can journey to human civilizations on Mars, then back to Earth, then even to another galaxy :O
Still can't quite imagine what life on Mars would be like?
Check out 'Mars,' the epic six-part TV series on the National Geographic Channel, every Sunday at 10pm on Astro channel 553, and HD 573.
The show is set in 2033 and follows humanity's first crewed mission to Mars aboard the Daedalus spacecraft. The global miniseries will showcase the crew's final harrowing moments before touching down on the red planet, and their mission to establish the first sustainable colony on Mars.
Watch this awesome 30-minute preview here!