The discussion of not yet having a return vehicle for a trip to Mars reminds me of a Reddit AMA with a Russian engineer through his grandson. There he claims his Grandfather worked on a plan to send an astronaut to Mars orbit then return, but there was a second and favored plan with which the astronaut would land on the surface, walk around, then die.

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/etu2s/i_was_born_in_sh...

I wonder how it would be received if the goal was to create a permanent settlement on Mars rather than returning.