Agreed, we need a crap load more tech / planning / advancement before we should be sending humans up there, one way trip to almost certain death isn't the way to do things any more, once we can send robots up there with as high success rate as we have for getting a person from one country to another safely on a plane, then think about sending humans up Do things properly, rather than kill people because we want to beat another country in putting man on Mars Not really sure the fascination of Mars, it can't support human life, if it was another Earth with a breathable atmosphere then fair enough Seems to me we're only doing it just because it is within reach
Given the fact that I'm British and am known for being a cynical bastard, probably something along the lines of: 'Well, this is a bit different.'
You definitely want to be the first, and say something profound and memorable. Not many people remember what Buzz said when he stepped on the moon, but 'everyone' (figuratively, not literally) knows what Armstrong said. I guess at least people remember Buzz, not many people remember Michael Collins other than he was 'that other guy'.
You must remember to take a laxative beforehand, you'd probably be constipated from the excitement and the rations. True, the low pressure of the Mars thin atmosphere will help evacuate your bowels, but exposure of skin to the martian atmosphere will quickly result in capillary bursting and frostbite. More importantly, uou don't want to be remembered for literally sh!**!ng yourself to death! You'd have to either poop in your suit, or poop inside a bag before you leave instead of using the waste reclamation unit.
I've been thinking of a witty thing to say but can't come up with anything... guess I'd still be standing on the last step of the spaceship, waiting
i will be just awestruck and terrified at the same time. I guess i will say: I am made of stars, i came home! But there is a very slim chance that i will ever step on Mars.
Assuming its uninhabited...."I hereby claim this patch of ground", if it is inhabited "Start the reactor" and then go for a drink at the last resort.
Not in our lifetime, but on the long run... You have to remember, one of the key differences imo between us and most animals: Animals adapt to their environment (genetics, evolution). Humans are different in a way that they use their smarts to adapt the environment to them on a pace that can outpace evolution.
I don't believe we could ever force a planet to adapt to us, if we could we would already have made things like climbing Everest a walk in the park, or 3rd world countries with no water a lot easier to live in, and we wouldn't be complaining about global warming if we had an ounce of control Films like Total Recall with a city sized pressurised dome to live inside would be difficult enough, let alone creating an atmosphere outside compatible with human life. I can't see us having the tech or ability to do things like that for many centuries, if not thousands of years (Unless the rumour that aliens give us new tech is true ) Nah, I think we are still in the stone age when things like this are concerned, it's still all about the space race, first one there is the winner even if it means killing the crew
Sorry but I can't let this go. The correct quote for the subject should be "One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind". I would say something like As man takes his first steps into the universe and the hostile Red Planet, let us pray we will always be able to find peace and shelter on The Blue Marble.
I'd say "First footprint!!" Then I'd make a mold of it so it ends up in NASA's museum and no one forgets my words. *edit: Now that I think about it, I think I'd rather say "Murica 2...Russia 0)
I was paraphrasing. Slightly for political correctness, mostly to move to onus on the individual than the collective. I did this so the reader would hang, perceptionally, on their mindset; to gauge reaction. You do get a bronze star for noticing, though.
