Re:Loon’s final flight
by sgt101 on Friday January 22, 2021 @03:48AM
(#25869716)
We don't have the technology to get a person to Mars or to land them when they get there. We probably have the technology to build a spaceship that they could die in on the way there - but that's the closest that we realistically have.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:Loon’s final flight
by Dylan16807 on Friday January 22, 2021 @04:13AM
(#25869873)
Surviving on the way to Mars isn't a huge leap in difficulty over a space station, and we have those on lock.
Re:Loon’s final flight
by ForHackernews on Friday January 22, 2021 @04:29AM
(#25869982)
There's much greater radiation exposure away from Earth's magnetic field. I believe this is still an unsolved problem. Proposed solutions for shielding are heavy and expensive.
Re:Loon’s final flight
by Dylan16807 on Friday January 22, 2021 @04:38AM
(#25870046)
You just have to keep the lights on and not die of cancer for six months. The radiation isn't that bad.
Edit: The specific number is under 2 millisievert per day. And "One sievert carries with it a 5.5% chance of eventually developing fatal cancer based on the linear no-threshold model."
Re:Loon’s final flight
by DEADBEEFC0FFEE on Friday January 22, 2021 @05:27AM
(#25870323)
I though shielding with water was the way forward there.
In science fiction novels...
It's much harder if you include the return trip.
Re:Loon’s final flight
by Dylan16807 on Friday January 22, 2021 @12:48PM
(#25874088)
You have to keep things going for 3 years, but I think such a trip is still pretty straightforward with our current abilities.
But wow what a drawn-out load of nothing a mission like that would be.
No resupply, no spares - no chance.
Re:Loon’s final flight
by Dylan16807 on Friday January 22, 2021 @08:06PM
(#25878481)
There's room on board for literal tons of spares.