Creepy Old Man Goes To Mars

[Mighty Jalapeno]

And he brings along his girlfriend, who's younger than his daughter!

Now, the article here is really cool, but all I can think of is "I'm a rich old man, and I'm going to spend three years in total isolation with a girl thirty-one years younger than me who's never been on a boat before..."

If NASA one day fulfills the dream of sending a manned expedition to Mars, Reid Stowe will have plenty of advice for the first astronaut crew. He could offer suggestions on mundane details -- bring plenty of socks, because they wear out faster than you expect -- as well as deep thoughts. "You have to put yourself in a timeless state of mind," he says. "You have to really abandon everything that's on Earth, and just live."

The 55-year-old Stowe, a sailor and professional adventurer, is currently sailing the 70-foot schooner Anne through the South Atlantic. He's attempting to stay at sea, beyond the sight of land, for 1,000 days. Stowe calls his project the Mars Ocean Odyssey, because he thinks the journey will provide valuable lessons for a manned flight to Mars, when astronauts would be confined to a small vessel for two to three years, separated from terra firma and most of humanity.

Stowe has made a number of long, grueling sails, including a trip to Antarctica in 1986. But if he succeeds in this mission, it will not only be the longest trip of his career, he'll also shatter the 1988 record world record for the longest continuous sail -- held by Australian Jon Sanders, who was at sea for 657 days.

Stowe's only companion and crew is 24-year-old Soanya Ahmad, his girlfriend, who says she had never stepped foot on a boat before meeting Stowe four years ago. But the novice Ahmad seems to be well suited for the particular rigors of this voyage.

[Gelsamel]

Sweet. I bet he loses because of the chick, or he has to order a boat to pick her up.

[Phenriz]

nah he's old, he'll run out of viagra within a month or so.

[Gelsamel]

Good point, they're boned.

[zenten]

Now, the article here is really cool, but all I can think of is "I'm a rich old man, and I'm going to spend three years in total isolation with a girl thirty-one years younger than me who's never been on a boat before..."

Actually, it says that four years ago she was never on a boat before. What I find creepier is that he was 51 when he got together with this 20 year old girlfriend.

[Cabhan]

I particularly like the comment that no one at NASA is following his journey.

I'm also feeling a break-up coming along. I mean, at the end of this trip, nearly half of their dating life will have been spent in 100% isolation.

[Green9090]

...Ahmad seems to be well suited for the particular rigors of this voyage.

<nudge nudge wink wink> I bet she is, sir, I bet she is! </nudge nudge wink wink>

Yeah, this sounds interesting. I wonder why he thought NASA would listen to him.... I would think NASA has their own ways of training astronauts to stay in one place for a long time.

[Lyra Ngalia]

I personally like the Mars Society's potshots at the Canadians and Europeans.

"At least they're doing something: They're managing a sailboat," Zubrin says. "These other people are sitting in a can in Moscow, playing chess. It has nothing to do with a Mars mission."

But yeah, could that man look any creepier?

The answer is yes. I just looked on their blog.

[Vaniver]

It's getting to the point where making fun of manned space exploration is like shooting astronauts in a spaceship with harmful radiation.

[hyperion]

Good point, they're boned.

zing

[RockMuncher]

I can't help but wonder, if this is a mars simulation, exactly where in space they plan on catching fish. Or how they plan on catching rainwater in space. This looks less like a simulation and more like a very ill thought out publicity stunt.


Also... that is possibly the creepiest man I've seen in a long time. It says further down it took him 20 years to finance, build the boat, and find a 'partner'. I'm willing to bet the boat and finances were done within the first 5.

[parkaboy]

Good point, they're boned.

after running out of viagra? probably not >_<

[Vaniver]

This looks less like a simulation and more like a very ill thought out publicity stunt.

The simulation is the time spent away from land. Odds are, it'll drive them insane.

[RealGrouchy]

nah he's old, he'll run out of viagra within a month or so.

Yeah, then he'll wish he had packed more socks.

The simulation is the time spent away from land. Odds are, it'll drive them insane.

Yes, and they'll have no one to kill except themselves.

- RG>

[Razzle Storm]

What? They have online access? Super lame. They aren't even close to completely isolated. I mean, if he was a real man, he'd go out in a small dingy with only one paddle and a net. Sure, he'd die in a week, but at least he'd be a MAN.

It was exciting catching our first edible fish. I felt a little bit sorry that we were killing it, but when I think about how a shark would eventually swallow it in a gulp and certainly not enjoy it as much as we would, I felt better about it.

I love the logic. "What? It'd die eventually, and at least we're enjoying it!"

[Jack Saladin]

Sure, he'd die in a week, but at least he'd be a MAN.

Plenty of people have survived huge lengths of time in those conditions.