"mars" attacks
I am kind of fascinated with the simulated Mars trip that "left" today, because it seems so bizarre to me that they are actually taking a FAKE TRIP TO MARS. I can't quite wrap my brain around the idea of all these astronauts spending the next 18 months PRETENDING TO BE IN SPACE, when they are actually living in an "isolation chamber" in Russia. It totally seems like a bad reality tv show to me, like MTV had run out of cities willing to tolerate their obnoxious camera crews and decided that "Real World: Space (But Not Really)" was their only remaining hope.
I have been picturing the astronauts accompanying everything with air quotes and giggling a lot, and ground control getting really pissed off at them for it:
"We have just left "orbit" and are preparing to "land" on "Mars"...(teehee)"
"DAMMIT KIREV WE TOLD YOU TO STOP WITH THE AIR QUOTES THIS IS SERIOUS SCIENCE."
Anyways! Somehow, the thing that struck me most is this quote from the director of the project (via Reuters):
Though over a thousand women applied for the venture -- which dictates "astronauts" must be under 185cm (6ft 1in) -- females are notably absent from the mission.
"It is harder for a woman to be taken out of life and put in isolation," said Mars500 project director Boris Morukov. "The most important thing here is motivation, and limitations would upset women. You're not allowed to talk on a telephone," he added."
There you have it, folks: Women can't go to fake space with the man astronauts because they can't TALK ON THE TELEPHONE.
I have been picturing the astronauts accompanying everything with air quotes and giggling a lot, and ground control getting really pissed off at them for it:
"We have just left "orbit" and are preparing to "land" on "Mars"...(teehee)"
"DAMMIT KIREV WE TOLD YOU TO STOP WITH THE AIR QUOTES THIS IS SERIOUS SCIENCE."
Anyways! Somehow, the thing that struck me most is this quote from the director of the project (via Reuters):
Though over a thousand women applied for the venture -- which dictates "astronauts" must be under 185cm (6ft 1in) -- females are notably absent from the mission.
"It is harder for a woman to be taken out of life and put in isolation," said Mars500 project director Boris Morukov. "The most important thing here is motivation, and limitations would upset women. You're not allowed to talk on a telephone," he added."
There you have it, folks: Women can't go to fake space with the man astronauts because they can't TALK ON THE TELEPHONE.