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Millionaire space tourist plans to send humans past Mars

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    501-day mission eyed for 2018

  • Duration 5:34
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Forty minutes past the hour rich boys and their toys.

A multi millionaire's trying to raise about a billion dollars or so so we can -- -- couple of people to fly past Mars.

His name is Dennis Tito various with.

He's the world's first space tourist he played he paid the Russians twenty million dollars back in 2001.

For a trip to the International Space Station.

He seemed to have loved it.

NASA didn't -- the trip and go for days at a launch today Dennis Tito announced he's working to send demand and a woman on a 501.

Day flight -- me.

501.

Days in a spaceship.

On a trip that would -- past Mars.

And swing back to earth.

We begin pull it off and -- the first time human sailed beyond Earth's orbit since the final Apollo moon mission back in 1972.

But of course he needs money and technology that does not yet exist.

Molly Henneberg has this quote news unquote from Washington Molly how will he raise that money and who's going on this mission.

Well Dennis Tito wouldn't give a precise cost estimate today chef but he says he'll try to raise the money from businesses.

Individuals and media organizations that would want access to the crew and pictures from this trip.

The two crew members he says will be a man and a woman who are married.

And let's hope they like each other because they would be living in a space capsule and we're talking about 600 cubic feet of living space.

For a seventeen month round trip to Mars.

They're not expected to step on Mars rather that come within about 100 miles -- and then come back to earth.

Like -- boomerang Tito says.

And one of the scientists working on this mission says everything that crew will need for 501.

Days.

We'll have to be in that space capsule if and when it launches including food.

Water and readable -- And entering the same -- the crew will drink the same -- over and over again reach the same oxygen over and over again.

The crew's drinking -- be recycled from urine perspiration processed through the distillation and filtration.

Systems and -- probably drink the same -- you know every other day.

The crew would also have to an -- except -- increased cancer risk.

Because of all the radiation they would be exposed to in space.

Well it just sounds perfect if he gets the money when does he played to try this thing.

January 5 2018.

It's a very specific date for a very specific reason earth and Mars we'll be close to each other in their orbits at that time.

Here's what Dennis Tito said about that today.

Let's go for the 2018.

Opportunity because -- The plan has realigned.

Every fifteen years and who wants to wait.

Until 2031.

Because by that time we might have company.

72 year old Tito says while he would have loved to have gone to Mars in his thirties.

He's not going on this mission Jeff.

Molly Henneberg in DC Molly thank you Colin Powell is -- -- now he's the editor of Discover Magazine.

So low drink the same water over and over again -- the same air you might have a higher cancer risk -- also.

Yet there are a lot of people who -- and who would happily -- to do that he already has volunteers.

People from the bias here to project you may remember that thing -- -- themselves and up and a -- And then -- southwest not Harry has some volunteers from there.

So there's no shortage of people who who who would line up to -- mission like this real question is can he do it 501.

Days and and that gives you within a hundred.

Hundred miles -- -- it -- it be like Apollo -- of -- of Apollo eleven you're not actually going down on the surface.

That makes it less exciting that makes it technically a lot lot easier.

This this would have to be a relatively small.

Capsule is staying right right so that and that's the other problems even if a small capsule you need.

It's a long tripping -- a really big rocket we don't actually have the rocket to do that just yet.

It's this company called SpaceX that's movement one of the -- -- private space companies Boeing and and they're they're working on rockets like that but Tito is betting basically that.

The technology will be there by the time his 2018 deadline catches up with them you know what it sounds like.

-- I -- you know.

He did there's no rocket he get a drink your own urine granted they'll treat it everything you gonna be stuck in a capsule.

Apparently a husband and wife team and and that guarantees almost near disaster just right there.

You know and -- It just sounds like something to fill three and a half minutes of cable news time well I think part of the cartoonist theory is that.

This is what this is something -- can be a self fulfilling prophecy if he says I'm gonna do this not another rocket companies have.

Publicity to build around and got about promise of funding now all of a sudden.

You know he can not only get money from saying you know hit the -- corporate donors but also from the national geographic society and Red -- and and the -- -- foundational these things.

It's funny things but yet by sheer force of will he's gambling that -- force of will.

He can actually make this thing happen and exactly chosen if you're gonna do it does a pretty Smart way to do with a lot of off the shelf technology and in -- and a relatively.

An ambitious thing of the flying past Mars the sort of landing.

It it's you know.

It's not technically impossible but boy does it.

Require like all the other stars to line up the right way and I'm thinking of 501 day finale it can be done and didn't cost a billion dollars.

Well look at and I achieve for that I think -- so pick it up and in part to this argument is that this is an education venture as much as anything else and that to me is.

Who made the most exciting part and education now a game I mean I guarantee you thank you sir gotta go look at that.

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