Mars Explorers Wanted Posters

This is a beautiful thing. If I were a teacher, I'd hang these in my classroom ASAP. My office will have to do instead.

When I was young becoming an astronaut would have been a dream. In recent years, after discovering the world of online learning, I learned too much though to have any desire to go into space, not with current or even soon-to-be technology. Physiological stress and radiation are very big problems. You must be young and thinking about health never entered your mind to apply for the job (yes of course, risk assessment vs. benefits is highly subjective, here, I'll even help you, see below).

Anyway, if you are interested start here (free courses):

- The Conquest of Space: Space Exploration and Rocket Science: https://www.edx.org/course/conquest-space-space-exploration-...

- Space Mission Design and Operations Learn the concepts: https://www.edx.org/course/space-mission-design-operations-e...

- Human Spaceflight - An introduction: https://www.edx.org/course/human-spaceflight-introduction-kt...

- Introduction to Aerospace Engineering: Astronautics and Human Spaceflight: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-aerospace-engineerin...

and maybe even (the more "heavy-weight" and more theory-heavy course)

- Introduction to Solar Systems Astronomy: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-solar-systems-astron...

- Talking about a journey to Mars, you just must read "Packing for Mars" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packing_for_Mars), Google Talk presentation by the author (40 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0kaycVtvhU

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PS: For a first flight experience I recommend you look up and contact a flight school at a small airport near you. An introductory 1 hour lesson without any prior requirements can easily be booked, and it is "self-contained", meaning you don't need to feel you are taking advantage if you don't become a student, they get paid for that hour. But even getting your private pilot license is not all that hard. I got mine years ago :)

For those of you in the Bay Area: http://www.wvfc.org/membership/introductory-flight (not the only address there, but the one where I went) As you can see it starts at $99 and is common enough to be made available in "packaged" form.

So that's where we are? Idiotic wishful thinking instead of real space exploration? That's what became of yesterday's dreams?

Is there any similar pre-lunar landing artwork? The only one I can think of is this 1955 presentation by Wernher von Braun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fautyLuuvo

> You must be young and thinking about health never entered your mind to apply for the job.

None of the current ISS crew are young; I suspect they just assess the risks differently.