While the call for a married couple to sign up for the 2018 Inspiration Mars fly-by has received the most attention, New Scientist (sub required) identifies 4 major challenges that need to be met before the mission can be attempted (the next launch window with ideal Earth-Mars alignment will not happen till 2031)
a) a launch vehicle - candidates include the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket
b) crew life-support system
c) Radiation Shielding - one (serious!) suggestion is to line the spacecraft's walls with dehydrated faeces, urine and food
d) Re-entry protection - no spacecraft has re-entered the earth's atmosphere at 14 km per second, the speed of this spacecraft even after spending days slowing down in space
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