Untitled Document
 In
May, the Mars One Foundation announced that they were
looking to send four qualified individuals on
an all-expenses-paid trip to Mars. It sounds too good to be true,
right? For anyone who had ever wanted to become an astronaut or go
into space, this opportunity must have seemed
like a dream come true. Well, there was a catch. The trip would be
one way and if chosen, you would be responsible with the monumental
task of establishing the first human
colony on the “red planet.”
 So,
how many people actually applied? It has been reported
that less than 3,000 people have “actually paid the fees and sent
in the videos that are required to be considered” for the next round.
The foundation’s committee, as well as the
leader of the mission, Bas Lansdorp from the Netherlands, will now
review each application. It is expected
that the chosen candidates will be notified
by the end of this year. If they accept, they will have to
undergo “long, grueling mental and physical
challenges and compete with each other for
the 25 to 40 spots available for the next round” in 2015.
 If
they reach the final round, they will enter an intense, seven-year training
program. At the end, only four will be chosen to make the trip to
Mars in 2023. If all goes according to plan, the foundation plans
to send additional four people by 2025.
One of the project’s biggest challenges is coming up with the $6 billion
to cover the costs.
 The foundation
hopes to raise money from private investors and by
launching a reality television
show. This means that viewers will be able to watch the candidates
undergo the training process, but also vote on the 25 to 40 finalists,
and then on the four individuals who will make the trip. The show
will then follow the brave men and/or women all the way to Mars!
Will you be tuning in? |
Staff
reporter Jessica Kim
(jessicakim@timescore.co.kr) |
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