Thousands of People Apply to Mars

The desire of man to explore new vistas in universe has certainly touched a new high. The mission to Mars is almost a reality now. With thousands of applications being received within two weeks of the announcement of establishment of a human colony of Mars, the craze of would be astronauts can be well gauged. This mission is being funded by a Dutch non profit organization by the name of Mars One. A crew is proposed to be sent to Mars by 2022 and given the physiological changes that human body will experience owing to this mission, the astronauts who make this trip cannot return to the earth.

Surprisingly, realizing the numerous dangers and prospects of a lifelong stay on Mars, the future trip has attracted over 78,000 applications. Bas Lansdrop, the co founder of Mars One expects that they will receive another 50,000 application by August 31st , the date by which bookings are expected to close. Daily life at Mars would be an exciting experience for the astronauts who happen to be a part of the mission. The astronauts will have to actively participate in the construction work at the red planet. They will not only have to install greenhouses but will also be a part of the research team that will look into the red planets geological history.

Interestingly, Mars One is not looking for people with any specific life sciences degree. People will utmost professionalism and a passion for exploring new adventures are being preferred. Each of the participants who would be a part of the final team to Mars will undergo a training of around eight years. This training period will prepare the potential astronauts physically, mentally and psychologically to live on Mars. Norbert Kraft, the Chief Medical Director for Mars One points that they are not looking for people having experience of flying supersonic jets but instead want people who can trust each other for a lifetime.

People from across the globe have shown interest in being a part of the mission. People from over 120 countries have shown their interest in being a part of the mission. The zeal of the people who wish to be a part of the mission can be best described in words of Steven, a 43 year old from United States of America. He pointed out that he wanted to be a part of the mission to discover new life and be a part of a unique experience that has the potential of changing anyone’s life.

Another unique aspect of the mission is that most of proposed $6 billion is to be raised through fundraising. People who wish to be a part of the mission need to be good fundraisers too. The organizers plan to raise this amount through a reality television show.
With new technologies developing by the day, the mission seems to be going the correct way and Mars One is working successfully in this direction.