Funded mostly by advertising and sponsorships from a global reality TV show, the one-way Mars One project is all set for round two in which applicants will be further screened and nations will decide on how they wish to go about the third and final screening process. In India, the Mars One final round could come in the shape of a reality show. It may sound too ambitious to be true but projecy founder Bas lansdorp tells Deebashree Mohanty that he will not stop before expanding human presence in space and will definitely settle a colony on planet Mars in 2023
What happens when a group is sent to MarsIJ Do they come backIJ Do they settle thereIJ And if so, howIJ
Mars One is organising a mission of permanent settlement. The technology for a return mission does not yet exist.
Even if a return mission were available, it would be uneconomical, dangerous and unnecessary. There are true pioneers among us today who have the sense of purpose to lead the way in expanding human presence in the galaxy.
Humans have always moved from a place to another without the intention of returning. This need to expand into the horizon is ingrained within humanity and is the reason behind the success of our species.
Unlike the early explorers and migrants in the early 20th century, Mars settlers will be able to talk to anyone from their previous home and access any digital material sent to them with a 20-minute delay.
Migrating to a different continent or a different planet is not for everyone. Finding the right individuals is the first task we have taken up. In each selection round of the Astronaut Selection Program, experts will exclude individuals that are further away from the criteria and systematically zero in on candidates closest to it.
What are the basic astronaut requirements prescribed by Mars OneIJ
You have to be at least 18 years old, intelligent, in good mental and physical health and committed to the project. The televised astronaut-selection process will kick off later this year.
How big a colony do you think you can create on MarsIJ
Fingers crossed but I hope that at some point the colony is large enough to become self sustaining. This may take many, many decades but it is a reality. Mars One will not be the only one working toward this goal. Several ventures will play their roles in bringing humanity to a new planet.
The first group of four astronauts will be the hardest to accomplish. I am convinced that once this first crew of four is there, many will follow.
78,000 people have applied and the numbers are spiraling. How does that make you feelIJ
We are proud and very happy to have received this amount of interest from people around the world.
How did you arrive at the concept for the video (for the participant to show how humorous he is) and how is it relevant to the missionIJ
A person’s sense of humor is an important factor in a mission like this. We will train our astronaut candidates in teams of four, who have to work together closely and in harmony. In an emergency, humor is an effective way to diffuse tense situations.
What was your initial reaction on seeing these videosIJ Any particular one that you would want to talk aboutIJ
What struck me is that the quality of the videos is overall really good. People have thought well about why they want to participate in our programme. Some have made an impressive effort to make their video stand out. One that comes to mind is an applicant who actually hired a studio with a green screen, and made a montage in which he explained why he wanted to go to Mars as if he was sitting next to luke Skywalker in one of the early Star Wars movies.
What happens after the initial selection process is over (August-end that was supposed to have ended)IJ
I will have to wait patiently for the selection committee to decide which applicants will advance toRound 2.
What is the biggest challenge Mars One will faceIJ
Three major challenges —financing the funding gap between expenditures on the hardware and revenues from the media event, this is a short term challenge and I am sure with the kind of promotions we are getting in, money won’t be a problem. Then there is problem of successfully passing through phases without much of a hiccup.
In the long-term, our major challenge is finding and training a crew that can successfully perform the first three years of the mission, between departure on Earth and the landing of the second crew.
Can you give us a rough estimation about the cost of this projectIJ
As per initial reports, we will need funds at the excess of $6 billion to make a colony on Mars a near-possibility.
A lot of representatives are from India. Is there a particular candidate that you think has it in him/her to go to MarsIJ
It is too early to say. I have to wait patiently for the selection committee to decide.
How did Mars One as a project idea come to youIJ
looking at images of the Mars surface by Sojourner Rover in 1997 as a young student made me want to go to Mars myself. As I explored the idea in the years that followed in my spare time with friends and colleagues, each piece of the puzzle fell in place. When I solved the last piece of the jigsaw, I sold part of my shares in my previous company to finance the start-up of Mars One and started working full time on the plan in March 2011.
After the initial expense of $38, does the applicant have to pay anything extra for trainingIJ
No additional payments.
Can you share names of celebrities who have appliedIJ
There are no famous applicants. Since we hope many people will follow the selection and training process of our candidates closely, we expect our selected candidates will become famous in their own right.