[GingisK]

Some NASA documentation indicates that astronauts can survive a year between here and Mars without harmful affects given the current state of the art. Other documents indicate that colonists on Mars could handle 60 years in underground shelters with limited exposure on the surface.

It is all about shielding and exposure times. The shielding is based upon the mass of material that separates the person from exposure to space. The atmosphere provides about 10 tons per square meter of shielding for "earth normal" exposure. The magnetic field is also very helpful.

[ShadowAce]

Yup. All that is true. It's still not gonna happen.

Don't get me wrong--I'd love to see us explore our solar system. I'm a huge fan of scifi. I also see our economy, our will to put people in danger for the sake of knowledge (non-existent) and other things going on.

It's just not going to be.