Originally published at Robin Hobb. You can comment here or there.

This will definitely give me something to dream about tonight. 

I can still remember the night my Dad took all us kids out on the front lawn and pointed out Sputnik to us.  He told us the world was on the verge of something wonderful. It didn't seem to matter to him that the Soviet Union had beaten the US to the punch. To him, it was about humankind taking steps out into space.

I really believed that we'd move along that path much faster than we have. I was supposed to be able to take holiday to a moon settlement by now.

But being one of the first settlers on Mars?  Camping next to an ice cave, paving the way for those who would follow after? That's an even better dream than vacationing at a low-G moon resort.

I know this article must seem like a silly idea to many people.  Send older folks on a one way trip to Mars, to begin the work as 'trail blazers' for those who would come after?  Such a dream.  Such a crazy vision.  I can think of a million objections to such a plan.

But would I volunteer to go?  In a heartbeat!

Robin