Mars by 2018!?

In yet more space news recently, the internet is abuzz with Dennis Tito financing a possible 501 day trip to Mars in 2018-19!

I first heard about it late last night but didn't believe it; however, now the story seems to be taking hold.  Tito was the first space tourist in 2001 and the rumor is he is now planning to use existing technology, a SpaceX Falcon rocket heavy lifter, to make an end run (fly by, free return) around mars and back (no landing, no orbit) beginning in Jan. 2018 when Earth and Mars line up for closest approach. 

500 days outside Earths magnetic field is a long time; I wonder what the plan is for radiation shielding. At any rate, a manned Mars fly-by in five years would be an amazing feat to pull off!  Would this spark some competition from other organizations, NASA or China perhaps?

Actually, now that I am thinking about it some more some details about this makes quite a bit of sense.  The sunspot activity (my last blog post) is consistent with the sun approaching its 10-11 year peak of solar activity with the corresponding flares of intense radiation.  Earth and Mars line up near each other in their orbits with a minimum distance between them once about every two years.  Five years from now will place the line up at the bottom of the solar activity cycle--the perfect time to make the jump.