FollowHave you ever planned a home at Mars? Now your dream can became a reality as Mars One has opened gates for these enthusiasts who are looking to visit the neighbouring planet. The ambitious multi-billion dollar project that aims to colonize the Red planet will start in 2022 and as many as over 100,000 people have already booked their application to go for a one-way trip to the Mars.
Mars One had announced the start of its selection program to the general public on April 19, and by May 7 the numbers crossed the 78,000 mark.
While the million dollar question about the survival of humans on Mars remains, the space lovers couldn’t stop signing up for “The Mars One project.”
Mars One did not specify how many have paid the fees, completed their profiles and configured them as private or public. Anyone 18 or older across the globe is eligible to apply for the project, but it is noteworthy that the fee depends on a user’s nationality. For US citizens, the application fee is USD 38, a website reported. According to the company sources, the fee is based on the gross domestic product per capita of each nation.
The first mission is set to cost USD 6 billion, sources said.
Selection process
Out of the total applicants, the company will select a multi-continental group of 40 astronauts this year. Four of them – two men and two women – are set to leave for Mars in September 2022. Interestingly they will reach the Mars surface in April 2023.
One more group of four will be deployed two years later. None of them will return to Earth, according to the mission plan. The astronauts will undergo a required eight-year training. They will learn how to repair habitat structures, grow vegetables in confined spaces and address “both routine and serious medical issues such as dental upkeep, muscle tears and bone fractures,” according to the project site.
Space travel experts opine that the risks are far too high to carry out these manned missions to Mars. The humans have never travelled such a distance.
