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In early 2008 NASA has developed a new Ion Engine technology allowing for faster, more effecient space travel. President McCain approved 15 Billion for the mission upon reaching the Presidency. Selected for the mission are individuals best suited for the maintainance of the ship headed to Mars.
The Independence was built by NASA for the mission, and is huge. 2 sections of the ship use centrifugal force to simulate gravity. One are the crew quaters and the rec area, the other are labratories. The ship can support about 15 people to and from, along with enough supplies to build a small colony on mars for 1 year.
The trip there will be approximantly 6 months, while the return trip about 2 years. All astronauts are expected to adapt to isolation and being in tight quarters.
The ship has a huge bandwidth allowance, and advances in tech allow for communication delays of 15 seconds, to 6 minutes. Crews can access the internet, download music, and video chat with family at home. No expense has been spared to make the crew happy, and tons of creature comforts to allow the crew to be happy during the extended mission.