Your One-Way Trip to Mars

534px-Mars_atmosphereA few weeks ago, a private Dutch company announced a plan to send people to the planet Mars. The plan, called Mars One, will send a group of people to travel to and live on Mars, but this is a one-way (without a return) trip. The people who go there will live the rest of their lives in an inflatable (able to be filled with air) habitat (place to live). Who are these “lucky” astronauts (people who travel into space)? People like you and me.

While this is not the first initiative (plan) to place people on Mars, it is the first that hopes to be completely financed (paid for) by sponsors, people and companies that give money to make something happen.

These sponsors are investing in a very unique (not like any other) reality show. On TV in recent years, we have had reality shows (television programs where “regular” people try to win some prize for their talent or abilities) that select the best singers (such as American Idol and The Voice), the best survivalist (able to stay alive under difficult physical conditions) like Survivor, and the best dancers (like So You Think You Can Dance). Why not select the best astronaut?

The organizers of Mars One plan to build reality shows around the selection of the people who will travel to Mars, the launch (sending into space of the spacecraft), and the landing (arrival of an spacecraft on the surface). The price tag (cost) is estimated to be $6 billion dollars ($6,000,000,000,000).

If you’re the adventurous (liking excitement and new activities) type, you can apply for this one-way mission (travel into space) by going to the Mars One website. You can upload (put on the website) a picture and a profile (set of information about you), and people who visit the website can rate (show their approval or disapproval of) you.

As I skimmed (looked quickly through) the profiles, I saw that applicants so far are from many different countries, but nearly all of them have something in common: they list English as their language. Why? Because although the project accepts people from any country, who can apply in 11 languages including Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Russian, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, Indonesian, and Japanese, the official language of the project is English. So if you hope to be one of these “lucky” astronauts, you are already one step ahead of the game (have an advantage).

Would you ever consider traveling and living on another planet, with no hope of returning to Earth?

~ Lucy

Photo Credit: Mars atmosphere from Wikipedia

This entry was posted in News and Current Events. Bookmark the permalink.

22 Responses to Your One-Way Trip to Mars

  1. Roberto Geronimo says:

    Very interesting post, as always! Congrats Lucy!

    I’ve never ever though about such experience. Although space has a fascinating impact in my live, spending the rest of my life in space sounds too much crazy for me.

    Anyway, if I decided to go, I’m one step ahead of the game!

    Thanks Jeff and Lucy!

  2. Peter says:

    We become what we think

    The idea of inhabiting a neighboring planet has been around for decades.
    A dream that existed just in books and movies is about to become the reality of every day’s life. It is no longer just a bed-time story , a wishful thinking or some far-reach fantasy. It is happening.
    It is not goona be long before we hear a space craft ticket collector in a space suit at a launch pad Calls , “All aboard. ” a one way trip to unknown.

    A new destination for mankind,a new society ,a new culture and tradition. It is all placing human being on the brink of a new age I like to call ” Mars age ”

    Dear professor Lucy.
    All of a sudden ,out of nowhere , you threw a lot at us. It is a lot to take in ,a lot to think about and above all a lot to write about.

    I still didn’t get a grip of what is happening here. I mean I can’t wrap my head around the thought of starting an extraterrestrial life. It is huge. It is appalling. It is overwhelming.

    The idea of starting a new society in outer space, in a planet far far a away is wee bit scary. I have my hairs on my back stand as I write. I mean even the thought of living in outer space makes my hair curl

    Are scientist sure that human kind is ready for such a life-changing trip? They are setting a new stage here.
    Did they think it through?
    It is not as simple as it sounds.
    There is a lot to it. I mean , let’s say the first inhabitants of planet Mars got off of the space-bus or whatever they call it. Then,what ?
    They need to be feed. Who lay down the law,and What makes the society whole? . How on earth they are getting their utility food , and tons of others supplies . Don’t tell me we r going back to the Stone Age there. 🙂

    The new residents out there in the planet still need to survive. they still have needs to fulfill
    they still have the basic needs ,right!??:) no mutation or anything , right :))) ( joking )

    On a more brave profound note ,today’s humans are very demanding. 🙂
    Decades of consuming products that fall out of no where right on their hips has made man more industrialized than industrious. ( good one :))
    How does today’s human with his sedentary , coach potato , TV-glued life style wanna ride out the tribulations of the uncharted land?
    Living to a new planet requires a huge ,overwhelming adjustment to a new climate ,new time in terms of day and night ,new logistics , new geological condition” perhaps a set of moons” :))
    All in all , new everything. Are the guys in charge certain that the new arrival of the new planet are up to acclimatize to all of these changes . I , for one, highly doubt it.

    It is not a simple immigration from one point to another on the old planet we live in for thousands of years. The planet we are familiar with. The planet we are a part of. The planet in which we made a long history line down to the day one.
    Hey ,yo, people at the gate holding up your space ticket .listen up!!!
    “It is the day one !!!”

    Oh,gosh , too much to think about. It is a huge transformation , rather transition. A tremendous undertaking
    Who ? Me ? No jezz ,I pass

    Guys who considering it; better think again.

    Who came up with the plan ? ,
    i mean , what were they thinking ?

    Eslpod rules
    Pete

  3. Dan says:

    Hello everyone,

    I would not! I am not that stupid.

    Let’s call things with the proper names: that is a suicidal mission.

    I would be happy with just a week on board of the ISS. That would be great! and getting back home would be great too!

    There is no doubt in my mind that WE are going to spread in other planets in the future. Starting with a colony ot the Moon?? We’ll see.
    Looking where WE are today it looks like nothing is impossible.

    We have in our heads the most powerful thingh in the Universe: our mind/brain.

    Most people do not realize we are starting to leave the planet! that is mind blowing. Right now We have Astronauts living SIX months on the ISS.
    They are studying the effects of zero gravity on our bodies and minds, doing experiments on many fields, thats is very exciting.
    I would like to SEE much more money spent on those things instead of the military sector.
    In 2010 alone the U.S. spent 683 BILLION!!! ( Wikipedia) can you imagine what you can do with all that money? You send people on Mars and back to Earth 100 times!

    Anyway, one of the first things that come to mind when thinking U.S. is NASA.
    I love Nasa and other organizations like that such as ESA, JAXA and so on.

    Thank you guys

  4. Dan says:

    Lucy,

    With you I would do that! hehehehehe

    How many points do I get? hehehehehe

    Thanks 😉

  5. emiliano says:

    Men are the craziest creature on Earth.
    First Men have destroyed the earth till inimaginable points, We have killed millions
    of creatures that have the same rights like us to live on Earth and now they want
    tp go to Mars?
    Why for?. To destroy another Planet that is even not inhabitant or it seems so?

    No, thanks.
    I don´t like to destroy anything more out from Earth.

    Gives Earth its before splendour, give life to the millions of creatures we have
    killed only for pleasure or for business and after doing that think if this Planet
    is good enough to live on it.

    Men on Earth are like a viruses that kills the body where it is living till the end
    of it and the body, that´s my opinión, so not, not kill another body or Planet, please.

    As you see I have not a good opinión about the human´s history on Earth.
    The worst predator of all that kills and destroy for pleasure, bussines or ambition.

    My best dear Lucy and Blog´s friends.

    emiliano

  6. emiliano says:

    By the way, a nice movie “AVATAR”
    Yes, I like it….more or less my way of thinking.

    Bye.

  7. Cauat says:

    Dear Lucy,
    Maybe I am just a pessimism person, it seems to be such a terrible thing to send people to the planet Mars?Am I right?
    The so-called ‘One-Way Trip to Mars’ is just like the death road for me?things are not that easy! There is not enough water, food support the long long long long….‘trip’? And I’m sure half of the people died on the way to the Mars, then it would make the others feel fear, loneliness and helplessness, even they kill each other! The end? Yes, ALL DIE IN ONE SHIP!
    The first time I hear this news on web few weeks ago, I told to myself: people who has this idea were real Martian! and nowadays earth no longer safe! They decided to back to Mars!

    One last thing I can’t understand,Why is Mars? Not the moon? Why haven’t we been to the moon again in 41 years?
    One small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind? This is really a joke…40 years later, moon still a giant leap for humankind! And now you tell me they want to go to the Mars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    best regards
    Cauat

  8. Peter says:

    They can send convicts there
    I mean criminals with life-time sentences can be sent to Mars for a new beginning instead of rotting away in beefed up prisons here.

    At least, out there in planet Mars they have more open space

    It is just an idea to bounce around

    It is not the soundest plan to come up with

  9. emiliano says:

    Good, very good Cauat, do you say that you are a pessimist person?
    What about me?.

    There is a saying that says:
    “A pesimist person is a good informed optimist person”

    I think what you say it is the truth but as you have seen I have another
    opinión about the humans actions on the Earth Planet.

    My best dear Cauat, emiliano

  10. HILARIO says:

    BEYOND TRIP. I really and reasonably doubt a lot about life as we know it here might be so pleasant out there as it should and it would be here if we stoped jeopardizing our natural habitat and we started damage control on earth planet injuries by doing cleaning and repairing the whole enviroment and eco system. I would encourage and lively recommend this kind of one-way only trip to some people like bankers, politicians and rest of financial sharks who take it and run with it with no pain.

  11. sutisha says:

    Hi Everybody,

    I do agree with Emiliano that man is the craziest creature. ‘One-Way Trip to Mars’ is the more craziest! Why? I have learned that Martian atmosphere is 100 times thinner than Earth’s. Without ‘thermal blanket’, its average temperature is minus 60 degrees Celsius. In winter, near the poles, the temperature can get down to minus 125 degrees C. A summer day can get to 20 degrees C near the equator, but at night the temperature can suddenly drops downward to minus 73 degrees C. The reasons why I never consider to travel to Mars or other planets are :
    1) I have no money to pay for the trip.
    2) Personally, I do not like freezing temperature and that of Mars which appears to fluctuate to highest then lowest in just one day is sure to make me sick.
    3) Even though Mars is now believably immaculate with no pollution, its atmosphere contains 95 percent carbon dioxide! Do I have to carry an oxygen tank all day … and how … at night?
    4) I don’t know whether Martian soil would let me grow my favorite fruit and vegetables on it.

    Dear Cauat,

    The moon’s temperature is 101- 107 degrees C at the day time and minus 153 degree C at night. Furthermore, when it is total eclipse of the sun, the moon’s temperature will incredibly plummet from 107 to minus 153 degrees C within few hours. The moon’s surface is dust like sand but not the same as sand on Earth. This dust absorbs heat and gets hotter in very short of time and in the same way it gets colder and colder very rapidly.

    Sincerely Yours,
    sutisha
    This

  12. sutisha says:

    Mars, whose deemed a new hope and promising resolution?
    Aspiring to an unspoiled world they are, how great extent our
    Ruining Earth to be devoured her emaciated resources to
    Serve the controversial and dubious exorbitant-priced project.

  13. Lassana says:

    Hi Everybody,

    Thanks to Lucy for this outstanding topic and impressive.

    It’s so crazy, this project is surprising. In this recent years we Often see in more countries, TV reality show where people try to win some prize of best singer, the best cooker, the best survivalist and so forth.

    Now we heard that people can go by one-way to Mars ! It’s really surreal !

    Nowadays I have a feeling there is no limit about games. We don’t know what to invent.

    Go on this planet without know if all works correctly. Being enclosed in an spacecraft.

    I think that even if engineers project have do the best work for this projet and even if all organizations, all systems, all equipements have been checked and validated, there are still some risk for people who travel.

    Personnaly if one day I have a chance to go on the planet Mars to visit her I will go but I know it’s impossible because I haven’t got enough money and I am not an astronaut.

    Anyway I love so much our earth and I prefer to live and ending my life here 🙂

    I wish good luck to winners 😉

    See you soon !

  14. Jens says:

    Hello everybody,

    I prefer to live here on earth, because I can´t imagine that are any ice-cream on Mars !!!

    Actually the blog-theme reminds me to “The War of the Worlds” , which is originall a novel by H.G. Wells (1898). The content is an alien invasion
    by Martians on earth. It´s located in London and a science fiction novel.

    In 1938 there was a radio drama of “The War of the Worlds” aired by Columbia Broadcasting System, New York/USA. The setting of the story
    was switched from 19th-century, London/UK to a little village in New Jersey/USA contemporary. The interesting thing was, that
    some people who were listening to this radio drama get in panic , because they had believed the events described in the programm were real !!!
    Also there was no interruption by commercials, which made the programm much more realism.

    I can suggest Jeff Waynes Musical Version of War of the Worlds” , progressive rock – string orchestra, produced 1978 !!!

    Dear Lucy, Jeff and the team ! I would like to congratulate to your 400 english-cafe ! You do a great job ! go ahead – thx

    Jens/Hamburg/Germany/Europe

  15. Cauat says:

    Dear emiliano,
    I quite agree with you. The earth is not as before, humans continue to destroy the earth, sometime I just want to back to the simple life like when I was a child:no phone, no computer, but happy. I hate city life, I have to worry some little trifle, it’s really troubles me. Maybe all these happen just because we grow up.
    However, it is said that all men are created equal but yet no such thing as fairness, nowadays how thing are going on by affecting the wages, incomes and access to resources for the poorest people in the world?

    And thanks sutisha for telling me the reason, I am looking forward to the human to land on the moon again.
    Many people said that U. S. astronauts had never been on the moon, the moon mission is all false.

  16. emiliano says:

    Good Jens, historical radio drama made by Orson Welles and that is possible to listen to in the web now in YouTube to every one who likes
    to be informed about something absolutely unique in the Radio.
    Orson Welles was famous by doing on the air such a program like ithat, it was as real as you said and reading your note, remembering
    the fact, I have look for it and yes, it is possible to listen to it now, incredible.

    Once I had the vinyl of “The War of the Wolds” and yes, I liked it a lot, really good as you said.
    You have removed my rememberers, I could see the record cover now, my daughters where children then, thanks a lot dear Jens.
    What happened with the vinyl? That is a mistery for me after having hundred of vinyls along my life I have none now, such a pity.

    Thanks Jens, it is clear that this Blog it is absolutely a source of wise stories like this one of yours.

    My best to all of you.

    emiliano

  17. Dan says:

    Wow, and I thought I was a pessimistic person.
    Thanks guys with those posts you helped me out
    Understanding I am a optimistic one.

    Thanks

  18. emiliano says:

    Dan, still young to be a pessimist person, just wait to my age and you´ll see.
    As Cauat said it was a simple life when I was a child, no pone, no tv., only a radio
    and comics, some novels that we could exchange for other paying a little cents
    so having one or two you may read a lot.

    Happy time without political problems, only the cold war that could destroy the
    Earth in a single day and all the humans, so why we will be worry about anything
    if in a moment we all could die in a second.
    Life was beatiful on the fifties being on the Street girls and boys playing together
    without any gadget, only jumping, running or doing other kind of physical games.

    Lucy, when you post something it could be so good the ideas that could be
    generated by all the blogers friends, all over round the world.
    It is great, thanks a lot.

    emiliano

  19. Peter says:

    You know if we hold big-bang theory responsible for the creation of life as we know it in planet earth , it was not because planet earth are conducive to the whole
    Creation thing. It is my understanding that Mars and Earth are of the same age group:)
    If it is true, well , don’t you think if Mars or other planets in our solar system had the same potential to cultivate life , a form of life must have been started out on Mars by know?

    Don’t you think we should leave well enough alone and let the universe runs its natural course.

    I m telling you no good comes from rubbing the universe the wrong way.

    Guys ,
    You know what they say ,” Charity begins at home.”
    There are a lot of issue to take care here on our home planet,there are a lot of loose end to tie right here on this giant piece of rock we call Earth.

    Guys , lets take care of Earth as she is taking care of us

    Let it be
    Just let it be

  20. tracy_lee says:

    Dear Lucy,

    One-way trip to Mars would be a terrible thing for me.I can’t imagine life without any family,friend,relative.

    Travelling to Mars may be for most people an attractive adventure,when first hearing this news.But after calming down,you should consider what pleasure you could still get when you are alone on Mars.

    Well, for me ….I have homesickness and I’m not willing to leave my family too far away.I still remember few years ago,when I was lerning germeny in frankfurt am Main for a year.Although I already have known several germany friends and they are nice me as well,but the new enviroment,new culture and homesickness make me hard.I have to frequently telephone my family,my friends in China.

    I do believe that man should live in society.If someone is brave enough to take part to the one-way trip to Mars,I appreciate him.

    Regard,
    tracy_lee

  21. Willy says:

    I never would do as such thing, to leave my planet to go to live in a artificial atmosphere for the rest of my life.
    I love my earth and never I would leave it forever.

    Maybe only for a temporary trip but never forever.

    Bye
    Willy

  22. parviz says:

    Hi every body,
    I would never go on such a terrible trip, even though it is free.
    I heard sometime ago that the gravity dies in the space, so you don’t get hungry and thirsty. And you may lose most of the instinct activities we have right know as human.
    Therefore, you may get or not get to planet mars after a long tiring One-Way trip in a small capsule where could just see your companions faces. The only water source is purified Urine.
    Plus, it is possible that you might get pulled in by a black hole, crashed into a meteor.
    That would be a tragic end.
    But if you get there someday however, you may feel homesick.

    I am going to register for this Journey, by the way, because someone has to go out there and see what is going beyond our solar system.
    I miss you guys already.
    And I promise to bring you nice souvenirs from Martians. I heard they are friendly.
    Thanks,
    Parviz

Comments are closed.