[adonovan]

I'd be surprised if there's a single person alive who would volunteer for a suicide mission to a miserable cold dark planet and could travel there for nine months in a tin can through a harsh radiation/muscle atrophy/psychological environment and arrive in any condition to conduct useful scientific work.

[WalterBright]

Suppose one had a diagnosis of 1 year to live. Why not expend it doing something great?

[adonovan]

Like enjoying earthly pleasures? The terminally ill do not make good astronauts.

[WalterBright]

I'm not at all suggesting anyone would be forced into this.

[adonovan]

Understood. My point is that the job requirements are almost mutually exclusive: must be physically and mentally fit enough for arduous travel and harsh work, yet basically suicidal.