MISSION TO MARS

Ah, the Red Planet. As you probably already know, the Dutch non-profit organization Mars One plans to establish a human settlement there (hopefully) by 2027. Not with astronauts. But with ordinary humans who have "can do! attitudes" and "indomitable spirits". And who want one-way tickets to live and die on Mars. They will give up everything they love dearly - their spouses, also hamburgers - to be the first to step foot on the fourth rock from the Sun. But hey, they'll get to star on reality TV.

Mars might turn out to be relatively hospitable to human life. After all, it once had an ocean covering about 20 percent of its surface. And the Curiosity rover recently detected fixed nitrogen...which may have supported life on Mars. But there are some pretty sizable concerns about colonization. Like how to access drinking water or prevent suffocation within the first 68 days. Or how to survive space radiation. Or fund a mission that will inevitably become cost-prohibitive over time. Stay tuned.