Finalists chosen for Mars mission

YT&Twebzine
The Mars One foundation has chosen finalists for its mission to colonize the red planet. Image: Mars One.
The Mars One foundation has chosen finalists for its mission to colonize the red planet. Image: Mars One.
Mars One, the not-for-profit foundation bent on taking colonists to the red planet, has announced 100 finalists for the one-way mission.

     For the uninitiated, Mars One was founded in 2011 and made news two years later when organizers announced they were seeking astronauts for a permanent settlement on Mars. More than 200,000 people across the globe have applied.
     The organization refers to its finalists as “the Mars 100,” and, on another part of the website, as “settlers.”  
     The new group includes 50 men and 50 women featured in separate videos on the website. They are from around the world: 39 from the Americas, 31 from Europe, 16 from Asia, seven from Africa and seven from Oceania. The foundation explains that the finalists were interviewed by the Mars One chief medical officer, who ensured that they understood the risks.
    Potential settlers include a ballet dancer, a student studying international relations and anthropology, and a software developer. They range in age from 20 to the mid-50s. In videos, one says that it is time for mankind to leave Earth and live someplace else. Another says this is the next big step in human evolution.  
    The next round of the selection process will focus on finding a group capable of working together and surviving in a tough environment. Six teams of four individuals are to be chosen for training, according to the website. A four-person crew is planned for 2024. Additional crews are to make the journey every two years.
    Scientists are still learning about the impact of long-term space flight on the body. And consider this from the organization’s website: “Earth return vehicles that can take off from Mars are currently unavailable.”
     In September, MIT researchers released a report that found current technology would be inadequate to support a colony on Mars. NASA has spoken of sending a manned flight to Mars -- but not until the 2030s.
 

    Related:

    Pulse: Americans foresee high-tech world

    NASA in Brief: Mars rocket in development