Sunday Times 2
Mars colonist candidate expresses doubts about mission
View(s):HOUSTON (Reuters) – A contender for a one-way mission to Mars says the venture is unrealistic and will not work, according to an essay by the candidate published on Wednesday.
Joseph Roche, an astrophysicist and lecturer at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, is among 100 finalists selected by Mars One, a nonprofit Dutch organization, for possible permanent resettlement on Mars in 10 years.
“I do not think we will see a one-way mission in my lifetime,” Roche wrote in an article published on Wednesday in the Guardian newspaper.
His comments are not the first words of skepticism about the project in the scientific community. In October, researchers with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology concluded that the plan, which aims to establish a self-sufficient colony of 24 settlers, is flawed.
“Although Mars One was never likely to overcome the financial and technical barriers during the proposed timeline, it was refreshing to hear a new idea that challenges us to think about our own role in the future of space exploration,” Roche wrote.