Suppose you were on a spaceship that landed on Mars, but during the landing the main guidance computer system broke down on the space ship. What does this mean for you and your crew? Well there is limited food available, limited oxygen - just enough to last for 2 weeks. But there is NO POSSIBILITY of a rescue mission being sent to get you.
Now, although the guidance system is out, all of the resources to repair it are around you. You even have another computer with internet connection that works. It is just a matter of using your creativity to rig up a solution that will fix the guidance system and enable you and your crew to take off and head for home.
The bottom line is that unless you fix the guidance system computer, you will die on Mars.
How would you fix the guidance system, given that there are no scientists in the crew?
Would you find an adventure like this exciting or would you be afraid to volunteer for such a mission?
2006-08-02 07:58:16 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
To clarify, the Internet connection in the space ship is just a regular web browser. There is no direct link to the space agency and it is not possible to simply contact someone on earth to get the answer. You must figure how to fix the guidance system yourself. The resources are around you - you can use google to research the net to help you.
Unfortunately, the space ship's radio transmission is also down. So there is no possibility of talking through the problem with mission control.
2006-08-02 10:46:52 · update #1
I'm not really sure the point of your question...your premise is full of holes that bear no resemblence to reality. Since you are so emphatic that no one on the crew has the knowledge to fix the guidance system, despite a fully functioning communication system with Earth (which is where "the internet" is), then the only possible answer to your hypothetical situation is that everyone is going to die. Period.
2006-08-02 10:14:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
This is basically what happened to Apollo 13. The Apollo 13 astronauts got guidance information from Earth and flew the space craft manually. Since they have an Internet connection that works, they can communicate with Earth. Computers on Earth can tell them how to guide the craft. They could even download guidance software to run on that other computer that has the Internet connection.
I see a problem with the 2 week supply of food though. It takes over 6 months to get back to Earth from Mars. Even if they had seeds to plant, how can they grow enough food to survive in only 2 weeks?
2006-08-02 15:45:10 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Who needs a guidance system. As long as propulsion works it's fine. Planets orbit in space following pretty simple mathematical guidelines. Just google the orbits, and manually guide the thing back to earth.
2006-08-02 15:07:46 · answer #3 · answered by ymingy@sbcglobal.net 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well first of all you should always have a back up plan. But if there isn't anybody with you and no scientist then you should be able to email somebody that can call for help.
And you could go to website that has old routes for coming home if you can get somebody from earth that knows how to fix the guidence.
2006-08-02 15:35:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Describe the problem to mission control ( or whoever is running the mission ). They will find experts who will have a far better chance of sorting out the problem than you do.
Sadly all plans will have to involve cannibalism so the return trip would not be pretty.
2006-08-02 17:41:48 · answer #5 · answered by m.paley 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You'd have to bump off the crew for the food they had or you wouldn't get back (takes more than 2 weeks unless we have warp drive by then!)
After that you just follow directions - oh, you'd need to be female as men don't stop for directions....
(I'm getting my coat..)
2006-08-02 16:43:34 · answer #6 · answered by Storm Rider 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No scientist in the crew!!!!!! Astronauts usually have a string of degrees.
2006-08-02 15:24:55 · answer #7 · answered by felineroche 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd just google it. Or e-mail NASA and ask them how to fix the thing. Either that or I'd post a question on Yahoo.
2006-08-02 16:37:35 · answer #8 · answered by Curly Locks 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah it would be great. I'd probbaly run around mars and get the other bloke to fix the computer.
2006-08-02 15:06:30 · answer #9 · answered by wave 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God knows, i panic in these kinds of situations. i wouldn't make a good astronaut would i??
2006-08-02 17:12:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋