1,058 called up for tests before one-way trip to Mars

1,058 called up for tests before one-way trip to Mars (01-03 09:29) More than 1,000 candidates out of 200,000 hopefuls have been chosen to train for a private Mars colonization mission to be partly funded by a reality-TV show following their training and subsequent steps, organizers said Thursday. (Pictured, a portrait of Mars stitched together by using images taken by NASA's Viking Orbiter spacecraft). They are to be whittled down to just 24, who will be sent over six launches starting in 2024, according to Mars One, the Dutch-based non-profit group behind the endeavor. The only catch is that the space-bound settlers will be on a one-way ticket to the Red Planet which lies a minimum 55 million kilometers six months' travel from Earth. Costs are too high to contemplate a return trip, AFP reports. Mars One said the selected 1,058 would-be emigrants to Mars, from 140 countries, were informed on December 30. The challenge with 200,000 applicants is separating those who we feel are physically and mentally adept to become human ambassadors on Mars from those who are obviously taking the mission much less seriously. We even had a couple of applicants submit their videos in the nude,'' said organization co-founder Bas Landsdorp. The group's chief medical officer, Norbert Kraft, said the candidates will now be called in for rigorous simulations, many in team settings, with focus on testing [their] physical and emotional capabilities'' over the next two years. The organizers announced last month it signed a US$250,000 contract with US group Lockheed Martin Space Systems to build a concept landing module that would be sent in a 2018 unmanned test flight.

Go here to see the original:
1,058 called up for tests before one-way trip to Mars