Our First Manned Mars Mission

It's time to change our thinking on the first manned Mars mission. Actually I'm not sure what the thinking is but I am sure that whomever is flown there would want to return to earth.
Well, that would be too expensive.

Our First Manned Mars Mission

Whoever we send there should be willing to die there.
Let's see, you could send me. I'm 78 years old and willing to take a trip to Mars and not come back. I'm sure that NASA could find a qualified person who thinks the same way I do, willing to stay there and let the dry wind dry his bones right in view of a NASA camera.

Don't you think that would be great television?
Wouldn't those of us who where left behind be glued to the boob tube screen?

The cost of a manned Mars mission will be exorbitant just like each of the unmanned space missions. But a tremendous amount of money could be saved and much information to make the NASA scientist happy for years could be obtained by an old person wondering around picking up rocks on Mars.
The cost of the return trip would be eliminated and our deficit would not increase so much.
I'm sure f China goes first, the no-return astronaut will be a Buddhist Monk.

I've decided that the first astronaut to Mars from NASA should be a woman--since I know they will not let me go. Many women have more patience, would like to be left alone, and can stand suffering much better than man. She would have hunger pains if the food and water died out before she did. She could stand that because women are use to long diets.

A man would be happy too, because he would not have to shave or take a bath.
He could become a Mars hermit.
Oh, to be that hermit!
Fly Old Glory!