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[sluissa]

For a moment, assuming this isn't a scam and is entirely legit, if a bit immoral...

If I had the money to spare at all (I.E. If it turns out I wasn't cut out for it I'd still be able to pay my bills next month) I'd be all for this.

As others have said, I would like to suggest that the scenario isn't very realistic. But in either the scenario's case or a more realistic setting I'd still be willing to go. Space travel and exploring another world are really just that big of a draw for me.

I do admit though, that I'm not sure if I could pass either of the exams. I'm confident with a month or two notice, I could get myself into decent shape, but the psychological part worries me a bit more. Not as easy to fix problems there, or even really identify them until it's too late.


As a side note, a few months ago I heard NASA was putting feelers out to see how many volunteers they might get if they were to offer a one way trip to mars with no promise of a return ticket back to earth. (Support in other ways was implied) This actually seems like a more likely plan and while it'd definitely take quite a bit more consideration, I can't say I'd turn that chance down either.

[quinnr]

I...would have to turn this down. Space travel isn't exactly the safest at the moment, especially with all the NASA shuttles being destroyed.

I remember being a very avid astronaut fan when I was a little tyke, at least until I saw the Columbus burning up on television. Now space ships kinda freak me out. I wouldn't want to go on one until they've come a loooonnnng way, technologically.

[iceball3]

I'd have to say no. For every reason.
1. Too much work, training bootcamp and such. SPAAAAACE isn't worth it, really.
2. Too damn expensive. My money would be better spent in other things.
3.The trip. SPAAAAACE may be cool for a good few hours, but it'll just get boring. Just as well, being stuffed in a spacecraft for 6 months sounds mighty fine for developing clausterphobia, not really what I want. The same old living space will just get boring. The same old people will drive insanity.
4. Being a shutin is fun, being shut-in isn't. There isn't much joy in evading a social populace if I couldn't stop evading them even if I wanted to.
5. There's people I actually want to physically be in the presence in. There's also people I want to meet. A flight to mars can be awfully disruptive in that.
6.Death. I don't wanna risk dying for a few hours of WOOOAAAAAHHH followed by +6 months of wooork in no-grav.

And some other stuff I forget to mention. But yeah, no space for me, because it isn't worth it.

[Aqizzar]

Mars may in fact be easier to reach than most of Antarctica.

Alright, this is where you really lost me.  The hypotheticals I could take.  You know what the big difference between Mars and Antarctica is?  Air.  Second biggest difference: it's across an ocean, not millions of miles of space.  Sure, Antarctica's cold, but it ain't that cold.

[Cthulhu Inc]

Even if I could go, I wouldn't. I need mah internets!

[Poltifar]

Even if I could go, I wouldn't. I need mah internets!

You might still get your internets! With a 2 minute latency.

[quinnr]

Even if I could go, I wouldn't. I need mah internets!

You would be starting an internets for the mars generation!

[counting]

Current business model of private company in space flight are generally 3 kinds

1. Government contract model, mostly NASA, and partial rents to small countries that can not afford billion dollars space program. It's more bidding to government demands than actually travels. And maned flight is low priority right now.

2. Hotel/Travel model. Attract some very rich folks and send them into space for a short trip. It's selling dreams and traveling experience. Russia Roscosmos made quite a few from this. The down side is you have to be working for years to make it safe (and credit) before getting serious customers flow.

3. Commercial experiment. It's essentially using civilian founds that making competition and giving away prize for what ever reason. Either it's the first one above 100 km, or making a zero-g experiment lab, or an artificial gravity spinning modules. Major founding from private sectors are diversity but unstable especially after the economic crisis.

The membership model described here is a new one really. Not sure if it's a sustainable business model.

[PTTG??]

This is how the internet works on base: The vast majority of the computer equipment for the mission is built using off-the-shelf components. As such, it is extremely vulnerable to viruses and malware.

For that reason, all mission equipment is locked and sealed from the internet. There are two ways to get your internet fix; private computers, which cut into your limited personal cargo space, and a few public internet terminals. These terminals and your private computers have a very local connection to a server which logs all requests and sends them off every few minutes in bandwidth-saving pulses. 4-45 minutes later, it caches the all the websites it received and updates the terminals. If your request is for a cached website, you'll get that page.

The browser used is Firefox with a special plugin.

Counting: It's probably not sustainable alone. The idea is they're looking for people with the will to go to space without being mission-critical themselves.

[rutsber]

Personally, NO. Not in anything remotely like the ISS. In an O'neill cylinder with rockets on it? Maybe. I would also have to oversee the design and engineering of it. As much as I'd love to go into space, I'm too distrusting in RL to actually take some guy's word that this thing is safe. And I don't think the ISS would work so well. Granted there is no wind resistance, otherwise it would just fall apart, but there are still micro-meteors and meteors to worry about. Also, the ISS took at least a decade to make, with a lot of countries cooperating. There is no way one private company could do this unless they were asteroid mining and didn't need to bring the materials into orbit from earth. And using a space station like the ISS isn't very practical. It would be easier to use a spaceship that lands completely and is used as a modular habitat. After around 5 ships had been converted, assuming 3 were sent before hand, then you, and then another unmanned one, you could begin leaving the shuttles in orbit to form a space station similar to the ISS. Your best bet would still be an orbital O'neill cylinder with modular habitats sent beforehand. And you would need Asteroid mining which is currently banned by International law.

[counting]

The practical aspect of private proxy server is a good one regarding low bandwidth. (A lot of LAN actually use this kind of proxy for bad Internet connections). But it will not nearly close to real Internet by any means. Since the amount of data needs to be put into proxy will be quite huge compare with limited amount of hardware and computers can be brought along.

But I really think membership business model although not a major incomes in any standard. It may be for a subcontract company, which only recruit personals for its mother company who build the hardware and getting founds from government or other means. It's like recruiting people to work for them but they have to pay the fee for the trip. It works when New World being colonized. People paid their entire fortune to go to New World, but it may be more attractive after the colony is settled and becomes stable. The first waves will always be more volunteers and mercenaries who don't afraid of danger. 

[PTTG??]

Personally, NO. Not in anything remotely like the ISS. In an O'neill cylinder with rockets on it? Maybe. I would also have to oversee the design and engineering of it. As much as I'd love to go into space, I'm too distrusting in RL to actually take some guy's word that this thing is safe. And I don't think the ISS would work so well. Granted there is no wind resistance, otherwise it would just fall apart, but there are still micro-meteors and meteors to worry about. Also, the ISS took at least a decade to make, with a lot of countries cooperating. There is no way one private company could do this unless they were asteroid mining and didn't need to bring the materials into orbit from earth. And using a space station like the ISS isn't very practical. It would be easier to use a spaceship that lands completely and is used as a modular habitat. After around 5 ships had been converted, assuming 3 were sent before hand, then you, and then another unmanned one, you could begin leaving the shuttles in orbit to form a space station similar to the ISS. Your best bet would still be an orbital O'neill cylinder with modular habitats sent beforehand. And you would need Asteroid mining which is currently banned by International law.

You built your own car, did you?

[Bauglir]

You built your own car, did you?

Real Men weave their cars from their beard hair. So do Real Women.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

And you would need Asteroid mining which is currently banned by International law.

I assure you that a grand total of No One cares about following UN Space Law.

[rutsber]

Personally, NO. Not in anything remotely like the ISS. In an O'neill cylinder with rockets on it? Maybe. I would also have to oversee the design and engineering of it. As much as I'd love to go into space, I'm too distrusting in RL to actually take some guy's word that this thing is safe. And I don't think the ISS would work so well. Granted there is no wind resistance, otherwise it would just fall apart, but there are still micro-meteors and meteors to worry about. Also, the ISS took at least a decade to make, with a lot of countries cooperating. There is no way one private company could do this unless they were asteroid mining and didn't need to bring the materials into orbit from earth. And using a space station like the ISS isn't very practical. It would be easier to use a spaceship that lands completely and is used as a modular habitat. After around 5 ships had been converted, assuming 3 were sent before hand, then you, and then another unmanned one, you could begin leaving the shuttles in orbit to form a space station similar to the ISS. Your best bet would still be an orbital O'neill cylinder with modular habitats sent beforehand. And you would need Asteroid mining which is currently banned by International law.

You built your own car, did you?

Who said that? I don't think I ever said anything about cars. You also said assume you're 20. That's half a decade away. And I wouldn't apply for a space program unless I had finished college so I would be around 25-27 I'm guessing.

And about the un law, I forgot that to do anything about it they would need weapons in space which would break their own laws. So as long as you stay in space you should be safe.