Re: starship-design: What is safest?

[Zenon Kulpa <zkulpa@zmit1.ippt.gov.pl>]

> From: TLG.van.der.Linden@tip.nl (Timothy van der Linden)
> 
> In reply to Zenon:
> >Generally, though, I am not some single-minded enthusiast
> >of just the one-way missions. I want only to consider
> >this mission type as one of the viable options to discuss
> >calmly its pros and cons. What prompted my sometimes
> >heated argument with Kelly on this issue was Kelly's
> >constant labelling of one-way missions as "suicide" missions
> >(which I think is simply wrong) and dismissing them
> >as outright unacceptable on this ground.
> 
> I'd also not call it suicide, but I could imagine that the last years of
> ones life would not be as comfortable as they would be on Earth. Certainly
> not for those that survive the mayority of the crew.
>
Certainly. But who says interstellar exploration
must be a nice and cosy affair like munching potato chips
on the couch before a TV-set?  ;-)


> Anyhow, this discussion is probably very close to the Earthly discussion
> about euthanasia. Clearly there isn't a general concensus about that topic,
> so it's no wonder that the discussion about one-way missions becomes a bit
> heated every now and then.
> 
Hmm, possibly, though I think your analogy is wrong -
I do not see any correspondence between the two
(except, possibly, that they both lead to heated discussions...).
For that matter I am principally and unconditionally
against euthanasia, while I would gladly go for a one-way
mission to Alpha Centauri...

-- Zenon