Via-
An ambitious project to establish a human colony on Mars has attracted
applications from tens of thousands of would-be astronauts, just two
weeks after applications opened.
Continue reading........
The
mission, a private venture by the Dutch non-profit organization Mars
One, aims to send a crew to the Red Planet in 2022 – and, due to the
physiological change in the human body after a stay on Mars, there’d be
no coming back. Continue reading........
That
hasn’t deterred people, though: so far, over 78,000 people have applied
to become one of Mars’ first immigrants (the company is expecting
500,000 applicants by the time applications close on August 31). “This
is turning out to be the most desired job in history,” says Bas
Lansdorp, co-founder of Mars One. Continue reading........
Day-to-day
life on Mars will be no picnic: The organization says that the daily
routine on the planet would involve construction work on the colony
(installing greenhouses, for example), maintenance of the settlement’s
systems and research into Mars’ climate and geological history–all in an
inhospitable environment with unbreathable air and an average
temperature in the planet’s mid-latitudes of around -58 degrees
Fahrenheit. Continue reading........
But
Mars One says it is not looking for applicants with specific skills,
such as a science degree, that might be useful during an interplanetary
posting. Instead, they are looking for people who “have a deep sense of
purpose, willingness to build and maintain healthy relationships, the
capacity for self-reflection and ability to trust.”
They also want
volunteers who are “resilient, adaptable, curious, creative and
resourceful.” Candidates will receive a minimum of eight years training
before leaving Earth, the company says. Continue reading........
“Gone
are the days when bravery and the number of hours flying a supersonic
jet were the top criteria for selection. Now, we are more concerned with
how well each astronaut works and lives with the others–and for a
lifetime of challenges ahead,” said Norbert Kraft, a former Senior
Research Associate at NASA and Chief Medical Director for Mars One in
a statement published on Mars One’s website. Continue reading........
Candidates
hailing from over 120 countries (although the vast majority are from
the U.S.) uploaded a video to Mars One’s website explaining why they’re
suitable for the mission. Kyle, a 21-year-old grocery store clerk from
the U.S., says he wants to be “an explorer and pioneer at the forefront
of history.” Steven, a 43-year-old American who works in electronics,
has even higher hopes for the mission: “I would like to go to Mars… to
discover new life,” he says.
Continue reading........
In
addition to people skills, successful applicants must be good
fundraisers too: Mars One plans to raise much of the mission’s $6
billion estimated cost through a reality TV show following the
applicants as they undergo preparations for the one-way trip to Mars.
They’ve got a little way to go yet, though: as of April 29, the money
raised through donations and merchandise stood at $84,121.
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Wednesday, April 22, 2015
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