NASA rethinking death in mission to Mars

  • Thread starter Thread starter JoeyWarren
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Uh, well that’s a good idea to weed out the “could bes,” but I think they should try and treat the ill astronaut and not pull the plug.
 
There is never a moral justification for killing an innocent person.

To “pull the plug” on an astronaught would be the same as throwing someone out of a lifeboat because they are drinking some of your water.

It is not acceptable under any circumstance.
 
If an astronaut becomes critically ill, then that mission should be aborted and all return home. No mission is more important than a persons life.

The screening process is so ridged though, that hopefully any health problem will be spotted way before that person is launched into space.
 
I used to truely agree with this comment.
The screening process is so ridged though, that hopefully any health problem will be spotted way before that person is launched into space.
Click to expand...
Until the whole situtation with the astronaut Lisa Nowak. If the screening is so ridgid I would have thought they would find an unstable person such as this. The only positive about the situation is she didn’t flip out in space.

Back on Topic:
I don’t see how if the mission is done correctly the sitution could arise. If there is enough oxygen for the trip with three people then there is enough oxygen even if one of them is sick. It is not as if they are picking up a sick person. His use of oxygen should have been calculated into the mission at the beginning.

What if they were running out of oxygen and no one was sick. Do they draws straws?
 
love4mary said:
If an astronaut becomes critically ill, then that mission should be aborted and all return home. No mission is more important than a persons life.
Click to expand...
This would be difficult midway between Earth and Mars, which is a two-year trip one way during the shortest distances between the two planets.

But still, pulling the plug is out of the question for as long as he can remain alive using ordinary means. Letting nature take its course is another story, and is permissibile, whether on earth or in space.
 
It’s probably immaterial as the Chinese are widely rumoured to be planning a one-way manned mission to Mars - it’s the only way they’ll get there before the Americans, and will be a powerful and terrible monument to the atheistic, utilitarian ethic of the Chinese government.
 
lorathon said:
I don’t see how if the mission is done correctly the sitution could arise. If there is enough oxygen for the trip with three people then there is enough oxygen even if one of them is sick. It is not as if they are picking up a sick person. His use of oxygen should have been calculated into the mission at the beginning.

What if they were running out of oxygen and no one was sick. Do they draws straws?
Click to expand...
not true actually - being ill increases oxygen demand and requirement
 
JoeyWarren said:
When should the plug be pulled on a critically ill astronaut who is using up precious oxygen and endangering the rest of the crew? Should NASA employ DNA testing to weed out astronauts who might get a disease on a long flight?

For the rest of the article:
cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/05/01/death.in.space.ap/index.html
Click to expand...
Which reminds me of an old movie I saw when I was a kid.

An astronaut (played by Richard Crenna) shoves off from a space capsule so that other astronauts will have enough oxygen to make it back to earth.

Is this suicide?
 
Why are we even worrying about such things? We do not have a need other than someone’s arrogance to visit Mars. We have much more important matters right here on Earth to deal with. I think the Moon was enough. How many people have to die, remember Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee who all died as the result of a fire on the launch pad in the doomed Apollo I spacecraft. We really should worry more about life and reality on earth.
 
Um… the sick person doesn’t “use up” oxygen. As long as the relevant molecules remain inside the spacecraft, the carbon dioxide can be scrubbed out by plants or machines and oxygen will return.
 
The other shoe also fell. What are they to do for those on the craft who will “need” to have sex during the trip. The assumption was that sexual activity would be necessary and that the crew would probably be of mixed gender. Now isn’t that an interesting question?
 
rwoehmke said:
The other shoe also fell. What are they to do for those on the craft who will “need” to have sex during the trip. The assumption was that sexual activity would be necessary and that the crew would probably be of mixed gender. Now isn’t that an interesting question?
Click to expand...
Yes indeed. I almost started another thread for that thought. Married couples only for astronauts?
 
rwoehmke said:
The other shoe also fell. What are they to do for those on the craft who will “need” to have sex during the trip. The assumption was that sexual activity would be necessary and that the crew would probably be of mixed gender. Now isn’t that an interesting question?
Click to expand...
Sex is “necessary”? What is this? People can’t keep their clothes on?
 
lorathon said:
I used to truely agree with this comment.

Until the whole situtation with the astronaut Lisa Nowak. If the screening is so ridgid I would have thought they would find an unstable person such as this. The only positive about the situation is she didn’t flip out in space.

Back on Topic:
I don’t see how if the mission is done correctly the sitution could arise. If there is enough oxygen for the trip with three people then there is enough oxygen even if one of them is sick. It is not as if they are picking up a sick person. His use of oxygen should have been calculated into the mission at the beginning.

What if they were running out of oxygen and no one was sick. Do they draws straws?
Click to expand...
I guess it all depends.
 
mark_a said:
Which reminds me of an old movie I saw when I was a kid.

An astronaut (played by Richard Crenna) shoves off from a space capsule so that other astronauts will have enough oxygen to make it back to earth.

Is this suicide?
Click to expand...
Technically, isn’t any self-inflicted death a suicide? In any case:
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Click to expand...
John 15:13
Click to expand...
Peace,
Dante
 
DL82 said:
It’s probably immaterial as the Chinese are widely rumoured to be planning a one-way manned mission to Mars - it’s the only way they’ll get there before the Americans, and will be a powerful and terrible monument to the atheistic, utilitarian ethic of the Chinese government.
Click to expand...
One-way manned mission? What would be the point? :confused:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top