Mars One starts its search for the first humans on MarsNEW YORK, Monday, 22nd April 2013 – Mars One is happy to announce the launch of its astronaut selection program today. The search has begun for the first humans to set foot on Mars and make it their home.Mars One invites would-be Mars settlers from anywhere in the world to submit an online application via apply.mars-one.com.This online application will be the first of the four rounds that together make the Mars One selection procedure. Round One will run for over five months and end on 31st August 2013. Applicants selected at the end of this round will include the first crew that will land on Mars in 2023. Mars One selection committees will hone the search for the first crew in three subsequent rounds and further training.“We are very excited about launching the selection program. Round One is where we open the doors to Mars for everyone on Earth. This is an international mission and it is very important for the project that anyone anywhere can ask themselves: Do I want this? Am I ready for this? If the answer is yes then we want to hear from you,” said Bas Lansdorp, co-founder of Mars One.In the last year Mars One received 10,000 messages from prospective applicants from over 100 countries. Mars One expects an unprecedented number of applications and even more internet users visiting the application website to support their favorite candidates.Applicants are given the choice of publicly sharing and promoting their application page. While Mars One experts will choose which candidates progress to Round 2, everyone will have the opportunity to know the aspiring settlers and give them their vote of confidence.Applicants will pay a small administration fee that varies across nations according to their per capita GDP. The variable fee makes the program equally accessible for applicants from all nations and also reduces the number of insincere entries.“For this mission of permanent settlement we are more concerned with how well each astronaut lives and works with others and their ability to deal with a lifetime of challenges.”“Gone are the days when bravery and the number of hours flying a supersonic jet were the top criteria,” said Norbert Kraft, Mars One’s Chief Medical Director and former NASA senior researcher.“For this mission of permanent settlement we are more concerned with how well each astronaut lives and works with others and their ability to deal with a lifetime of challenges.”Throughout the astronaut selection program, Mars One will select applicants who have good physical and mental health and show five key character traits: Resilience, Adaptability, Curiosity, Ability to trust others, and Creativity/Resourcefulness.In the last stage when 24-40 candidates have been fully trained and qualified, the final decision of choosing the first settlers will be decided by an audience vote.“In a 1000 years, everyone on Earth will still remember who the first humans on Mars were, just like Neil Armstrong has etched in our memories forever. This makes the selection of the first crew to a different planet a very important election; in my opinion more important than most elections. We hope the whole world will join Mars One in our democratic search of the envoys of mankind to Mars, ” Lansdorp said.About Mars OneThe Mars One Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that will send humans to Mars in 2023 to establish the first permanent settlement outside Earth. Before the first settlers land on Mars a self-sustaining habitat will be set up with help of rovers and more settlers will follow every two years. A realistic mission plan has been designed using only existing technology available through the private space industry. The first footprint on Mars will fascinate and inspire generations; it is this public interest that will help finance this human mission to Mars.
One candidate, some australian guy. Question: Why do you think you're the ideal candidate?Answer: Because I'm entirely bonkers, and I think that is needed for such a mission.
Quote from: Oli on 04/22/2013 05:59 pmOne candidate, some australian guy. Question: Why do you think you're the ideal candidate?Answer: Because I'm entirely bonkers, and I think that is needed for such a mission.I think this question posted on Twitter gets more to the heart of it: can you avoid harming yourself and others if you realize your one-way trip to Mars was the worst mistake of your life?
Looks like the stream is already coming from mars.But the application vid is kind of cool:
I fear this this project will be just successful enough to send one team of poor bastards there, before interest wanes and money runs out. Then people will watch them eventually die horribly, cementing in peoples minds that space settlement is a dead end.
P.S. Why doesn't it scale the pics?
But the application vid is kind of cool:
Habitat pics I found somewhere:
Habitat pics I found somewhere.
Are they really only planning to send four people?
I remain a major skeptic for this project. I see that the press conference was very poorly attended and just a small point - the name plates appeared to be hand-written which gives an immediately amateurish touch. I rather doubt that these fine folk have the financial and technical horsepower needed to pull it off.Mores the pity...
- The habitat pods will eventually be buried under 5 meters of Mars sand to protect them - and the astronauts - from radiation.- A lot of research will be needed to establish the technical feasibility of the MarsOne proposal (What!? They haven't done that yet?)- Mars One acknowledges that could, in worst case scenario, leave the project unable to send re-supplies after the first four astronauts have landed on the Red Planet.