[FoRK] per senectus ad astra

[Dave Long]

Back when a friend of mine was doing mission planning for JPL (and I  
was still in my teens), he regretfully informed me that I was far too  
old to be considered for any of the Mars projects he was working on.

But I when I mentioned this story to an ESA functionary (who I'd met  
at the Zürich Polo Club), he said that I probably still qualified for  
their planned missions.  Apparently they're taking the Eugen-view of  
the desirability of tossing monkeys up in tin cans, and figuring that  
-- not being really sure of the radiation exposure issues -- they'd  
rather send people who don't have many issues with possible somatic  
-- or even gametic! -- bitrot; people, shall we say, of a certain age.

cf "Volunteers sought for Mars test"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6221424.stm

Quel dommage.  Извините, я не говорю по-русски.

-Dave