Mars One Picks 100 to Compete for One-Way Red Planet Trips

[Randy]

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/mars-one-picks-100-compete-one-way-red-planet-trips-n306851

The Dutch-based Mars One venture says it's winnowed down its list of applicants to 50 men and 50 women who will compete for the chance to take a one-way trip to Mars. Yes, that's the reward — not the punishment. The Mars One project plans to put on a reality-TV competition to select 24 prospective crew members for missions to Mars, starting as early as 2024. Winners would be expected to start up a permanent colony on the Red Planet.

Thousands signed up for Mars One consideration in 2013, and the 100 competitors (full list here) were chosen after going through interviews with chief medical officer Norbert Kraft. "Being one of the best individual candidates does not automatically make you the greatest team player, so I look forward to seeing how the candidates progress and work together in the upcoming challenges." Kraft said in a news release issued Monday.

Mars One estimates that it will need billions of dollars to conduct its Mars missions, including a robotic rover mission planned for launch in 2018. The money question is the biggest unknown right now, but last year an MIT study concluded that the venture's plan to send humans to Mars and keep them alive was "overly optimistic" on technical grounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxS7dCMBvSI

Thoughts?

 

[MrDawn]

I've heard about this.

They're trying to achieve a Mars colony.

Good luck with that.

 

[Jazzy]

Is it too late to sign up my boss?

 

[Nebulous]

Is it too late to sign up my boss?

lol, send mine there too.

 

[DrLeftover]

I just hope this short story wasn't prophetic:

We Failed


"We failed.
"I'm sorry. I don't know how else to put it. But, we failed. In something under twelve hours from now, those of us that are left after last week's evac flight will all board the Soyuz Two rocket and leave for Earth. Abandoning over two years of work, and three of our comrades who have died here.
"I have to admit though, I agree with the decision. This base has never paid off in any way. Our gardens are barely more than a curiosity, the water we can bring up isn't enough to sustain us. Even our oxygen conversion never fulfilled its promise. We still import almost everything we eat or drink, or even breathe.
"But still I'm sad about the whole thing. To admit failure and go home just rubs me the wrong way."

"We're leaving a fairly large base here on Mars, and we're leaving it intact in hopes that we'll be back. That is, that humans from Earth will be back. We've crisscrossed the Amazonis Planitia flats with roads and wells and shelters. There's a mine shaft into the cliffs near here. I've made several ascents of Olympus Mons and left instruments as well as mementos on its summit. And I've been told that the new space telescope can actually see our base from Earth orbit. There is no denying we've made a lasting impression on the planet.
"And the planet has made a lasting impression on us.
"Mike and Charles were killed in a rockslide while exploring a canyon in the Tharsis volcano field. Old George overextended himself building the containment levy around the water seep we named for him and died of a heart attack before we could get him back here. I call him 'old George', he was older than I am by exactly one year.

'The rest of the story'
http://themediadesk.com/newfiles2/amazonis.htm

 

[seasidemike]

And yet, shortly after this announcement they have spotted some massive dust clouds raising from the surface of an area of Mars and have no explaination for it.

It is way too early to be sending people there.

 

[Combo]

And yet, shortly after this announcement they have spotted some massive dust clouds raising from the surface of an area of Mars and have no explaination for it.

It is way too early to be sending people there.

I agree, far to early. We need to study it more.

 

[MrDawn]

hmm, I imagine Mars year round being cool or cold. You can probably have the time of your life if you study astrology, the sky should be an incredible sight. Though the sky there may not as welcoming as Earth's sky. You should be able to work a lot better in terms of physical labor, less gravity and all. But you'd feel a bit weird too trying to walk about because you aren't used to the weaker gravity. You can see way far into the distance, all the mountains look incredible. The one place I really want to see on Mars is Olympus Mons.

 

[Evil Eye]

Just ten more years of waiting to go!

the sky should be an incredible sight.

That never occurred to me, but yeah. Should be pretty neat. Not one-way-trip-to-Mars neat, but pretty neat all the same

 

[Dee]

"Mars One Picks 24 Doomed Souls to be the First to Die on the Red Planet"

 

[Evil Eye]

"Mars One Picks 24 Doomed Souls to be the First to Die on the Red Planet"

Still an achievement