On Sunday, October 2, 2016 at 10:33:54 AM UTC+13, JF Mezei wrote:
How realistic is it to build a ship with 100 or as Musk really wants 200
people enclosed for ~3-4 months, and expect these people to be
functional after being lethargic in 0-g all that time ?

Suspended animation solves this problem. So does virtual reality with a suit that has motorised movement.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...neys-Mars.html

https://www.nasa.gov/content/torpor-...stasis-to-mars

http://www.space.com/22520-incredibl...animation.html

http://www.livescience.com/53870-nul...lity-suit.html

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-con...irtual-reality

This is all built into the biosuit which is designed for long-duration wear. The functions would be integrated into the suit and be part of the training for each traveller.


Also, when they land, since there won't be a JFK airport with airtight
jetways to welcome the people,

Well, since robots can be sent on ahead capable of building such things, this is not necessarily true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvN9Ri1GmuY

http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/r...-6-meter-tower

Certainly not true after the first group arrives.

won't they each need to have their own
suit (perhaps a requirement to live on mars anyways) and that would take
up a lot of space as cargo.

Newer counter-pressure designs using MEMS life support designed for long-duration, would require very little added space.

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/617047main_4..._spacesuit.pdf

These would be like second skins and dispense with the need for bathtubs, showers, laundry, and even toilets.

However, settlers will come with tons of gear, a spacesuit, even an old-style one, would be a small part of that total space.


The logistics of unloading the ship would be interesting.

Arthur Clarke had that worked out back in 1968 - in his movie 2001;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgpp7YCA0_Y

The interesting bit starts at 5:17 - you land in an airlock with the door open and then close the door, and pressurise the entire ship prior to breaking its seal, normalising pressure, and opening all hatches.