Exploring Space: A novel idea.

[1stFreedom]

Exploring the outer reaches of our galaxy would be a fantastic voyage. The problem is finding willing participants.

Why not offer prisoners with life/death sentences the opportunity take such a trip? Give them a choice between rotting in prison or traveling in space the rest of their lives.

Send them on a mission to explore Mars or Jupiter. Base them on a permanent station on Mars. Heck, put them on the moon for the rest of their lives.

If they were relatively close, we could ship supplies every six months or so.

We could also send them adrift on an endless journey to explore the galaxy, a one way trip. They could land on planets, explore, and then return to the mother ship. Pack enough food water etc for 40 years.

No bleeding hearts here though. for death row inmates, set a self destruct timer to go off at a designated time. They still get executed but at least they'll have a hell of an experience up till that point.

This all might sound silly, but then again, it may be a novel idea. Until one of us is ready to give up their lives for long term space travel, it may be the only real solution.

Your thoughts?

[RightWhale]

Try joining an existing thread where this topic might be discussed rather than posting a vanity.

[BallandPowder]

Powder..Patch..Ball FIRE!

It has been done

Re: Australia also see "The Moon is A Harsh Mistress".

[r9etb]

Well, for one thing, I think you'd have a hard time finding convicts smart enough to make this work.

[Izzy Dunne]

The thought of an angry convicted murderer with nothing left to lose behind the steering wheel of a rocket ship with 20,000+ pounds of explosive fuel on board is not a pleasant one...

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[1stFreedom]

Sure, but obviously there would have to be a safety mechanism that would disable any onboard control within 50000 miles of earth. (NASA would control it within that zone.)

[Prime Choice]

Not exactly a good idea. Long-term missions cooped up in a spacecraft require discipline and a sound, well-adjusted mind. I doubt you'll find a criminal with such a critical qualities.

Besides, do you really want society's worst to have a greater chance of making that ever-remote "first contact"?

[Jonah Hex]

"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress", tovarisch.

[1stFreedom]

You can find them or train them. hell they have many years to become competent.

[thoughtomator]

#1... can't trust em, nobody's going to send one up with billions of dollars of high-tech equipment

#2... there are a lot of non-convicts who would jump at the chance, even if there were no coming back! It's almost a reward, to get a chance to be a space pioneer. No rewards for criminals!

[bobjam]

Didn't they make a science fiction movie about this? Something alnog the lines of Escape from New York meets Planet of the Apes.

[camle]

how about those who cannot walk? they'd function better in zero grav.

[gcruse]

Becoming competent isn't just a matter of time and exposure.

[JohnGalt]

We're working to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America.

First we abolish NASA and strip the pensions for every phony that works there. However, I would support your plan so long as we send the politicians first.

[Professional Engineer]

And those would be?

[1stFreedom]

Well, you'd have to train alot and take the cream of the crop.

[smith288]

I would bet 40% of those people in NASA JPL lab would be willing to do this for free. LOL.

[Lee Heggy]

Exploring the edges of the galaxy is quite another thing from a mission to Jupiter. In either case you would probably end up with an insane crew

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Well, first off, your post proceeds on an incorrect assumption, IMHO. "Finding willing participants" is not the problem; there are literally hundreds if not thousands of people who would willing volunteer for space missions. The problem is funding and equipping the spacecraft to actually reach the nearest planets, let alone planets outside of this solar system, without killing the people on board.

Figure that one out, and you've got something.