by Thoul » Sat Jun 5, '10, 1:07 am
There are probably no Americans included because NASA doesn't want to be involved. NASA doesn't seem very interested in long term space exploration, which is what a trip to Mars would require. It takes something like 6 months to reach Mars, assuming the launch happens when Earth and Mars are closest together in their orbits. So for a Mars mission, you've got 6 months there, wait a year for the next optimum orbital positions, then 6 months on the return trip: a total of two years.
Putting a handful of people in a small area together for two years is a risky, and expensive, proposition. They have to take all their food, water, oxygen, medical supplies, entertainment, and power sources with them. That requires a lot of fuel and likely a cargo capacity beyond the existing space shuttles. Plus, even the most easy mannered of people will get short tempered after being mashed together for that long of a time.