They could exercise in a pretty small area, but the psychological strain of a journey of that duration would be extreme.
How big was the space in the Mars500 experiment where they locked people away for the duration?
They should be 'landing' back on earth in November from memory, or has it fallen over?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Haese
Just to get there is going to cost a fortune. The "space ship" needs to have a habitat area which would be in my opinion need to be twice the size of an average house. That is so the crew don't kill each other and so they can exercise. The idea of putting them in a tin can for 6 months is well at best stupid and at worst a disaster. Step on to Mars and fracture a hip.
So with that sized habitat, it will need something around half a kilometer long for life support systems and propulsion. Water recycling, air and CO2 creation and cleansing. Something to create a magnetic field to protect the astronauts they don't die of radiation poisoning on the way there or the way back.
That means 40 billion is just a start. This is going to require many nations getting this together and then it just might succeed. It will not happen in our life time. The economics, the political will and the fight for oil is just part of the reasons why it will not happen. Going to the moon is one thing, just think about travelling in space and being separated from home for at least 18 months, maybe 2.5 years. That makes a week seem like childs play.
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