RE: RE: Re: starship-design: The Way ahead & Bugs

[Zenon Kulpa <zkulpa@zmit1.ippt.gov.pl>]

> From: "L. Parker" <lparker@cacaphony.net>
> 
> > One factor I suggested long ago in the group was that our starships group
> > survey tems would be few in number, and subjected to intence quarenteen. 
> > If they arn't sure their clean, they don't get to come back to the 
> > ship. If the ship can't convince earth they are clean, 
> > the decel microwave beam isn't turned on.
> 
> Zenon, did you see that? Kelly is proposing suicide missions.... <G>
> 
Yes and no  ;-)
I have mentioned that (cautiously... ;-) in my letter to Bjorn,
as another argument (namely, the Earth-contamination problem)
for one-way missions.

However, what Kelly proposes above are not suicide missions,
but "kill'em missions" - we send them convinced that they will
safely return, but upon their returning, when something does not 
go to our liking, we simply do not turn on the decel beam, 
and let them perish in space.
Somehow, when they are willing to sacrifice their lives voluntarily,
it is abhorrent to Kelly, but when WE willingly cause them 
to perish in space, it is OK.
Probably, you know, it is the matter of who rules here?

-- Zenon