Posted on 05/09/2013 2:28:07 PM PDT by presidio9
Mars One applications have only been available for two weeks, and already over 78,000 people have submitted video applications to be part of the one way trip to the red planet.
Scheduled for 2022, the Mars One mission, imagined by the Dutch non-profit of the same name, aims to establish a self-sustaining colony on Mars. According to Time, the physiological change to the human body after an extended stay on Mars would mean no chance of returning to Earth for would-be astronauts.
While the initial flood of applications has led Mars One co-founder Bas Lansdorp to call the mission "the most desired job in history," Mars One colonists would face trying conditions that could make it difficult for the organization to find its desired 500,000 applicants.
A daily routine on the planet would involve construction work, maintenance, research and a constant battle against Mars' inhospitable conditions.
But these hurdles don't seem to concern the applicants so far.
According to The Week, applicants were charged a fee between $5 to $75 depending on the country from which they were applying. U.S. residents were charged a $38 fee.
Some applicants see the mission as an opportunity to fulfill childhood dreams of exploring space. Others are excited about the prospect of becoming a part of history, and many have specific skills that they feel would make them ideal candidates for the mission.
Applicant videos can be viewed and rated on Mars One's website.
A significant amount of skepticism and criticism has followed the project since its announcement, much of it focused on Mars One's fund raising concept.
The organization plans to create a reality TV show around the applicants' preparation for the mission. According to The New York Times, Landsorp, who will be an executive producer for the show, believes it can generate the $6 billion needed to launch the mission. He says:
"This will be one of the biggest events in human history. We are talking about creating a major media spectacle, much bigger than the moon landings or the Olympics, and with huge potential for revenues coming from TV rights and sponsorships."
Other criticisms come from the scientific community. According to New Scientist, Martian dust, which covers the surface of the planet, contains perchlorates which can be harmful to the thyroid gland. Veins of gypsum have also been found on the planet, which can build up in the lungs if inhaled.
Even though the astronauts wouldn't be breathing Mars atmosphere directly, the fine powder could cling to their space suits, and could find its way into the body. Dangerous radiation is also a chief concern.
Mars One insists, however vaguely, that the technology exists to combat these potential issues. The organization touts solar panels, simple rovers which will begin construction ahead of human arrival, and zero political involvement as key pillars that will make the mission possible.
Obama ?
if there's solar panels, he'll be there with suitcases of taxpayer money.
Now I know what to get my mother-in-law for Christmas . . . .
So, we can send all the Mexican sheetrock hangers, they won't mind........
Let’s hope that all the liberals sign up, then they will leave the rest of us alone.
My husband would go if he were chosen.
He desires to learn what no one else has known.
Honestly, I would go.. Divorced and no family left... I am curious.
YEP : )
LOL!!
Ship every damn one of the idiots!!!
I’m going to Cloud City, Venus, instead.
To heck with that, I wanna go to Ceres instead...
All the mud and water one could ever want, plus we get to sit back and laugh while King Obama the III attacks the martian colonies for not paying their space taxes...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonization_of_Ceres
If we send them, one day we will have to kill them.
The only way this would be possible is if we first dug an extensive tunnel system on Mars, complete with enough infrastructure. There would have to be a lake of underground water ice, a bunch of nuclear reactors, a significant botanical garden, etc. Even the bacteria would have to be imported.
The best way to begin would be by “enhancing” the Martian atmosphere. There is an opportunity for that in 2014, with a gigantic comet passing near Mars, if it could be diverted to hitting Mars. Comet Siding Spring may be as large as 50km in diameter, and who result in a huge amount of water and other gases added to its atmosphere.
Going to Mars is like a trip to the town called Morrow. Going to Morrow is always a one way trip since you can leave today but never come back to Day.
No, they wanna get AWAY from Obama...
WOW!
Can I submit an application on someone else’s behalf, without their consent?
Great idea!
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