I wonder how many of those with the qualifications to be selected for a trip to mars would make such a sacrifice.
If you knew you weren't coming back, would you still be willing to be the first person on mars?
If you knew you weren't coming back, would you still be willing to be the first person on mars?
I could keep myself occupied and entertained the same way I do now, with some personal computing devices and game consoles, and I should be able to steer my craft and make direct observations while maintaining communications with Earth as long as the distance allows.
It would be a privilege rather than a sacrifice, and it will help humans back here in understanding the cosmos better than unmanned probes would.