We’ve all occasionally glanced into the heavens, wondering what secrets lay

behind the brilliant planets and stars which occupy our universe. First it was the moon in

1969, with Buzz Aldrin declaring the memorable phrase, “This is one small

step for man, and one giant leap for mankind.”

Now, mankind is ready for its second giant leap, a mission to Mars. At first, it

sounds like your classic intro to a redundantly cheesy Sci-Fi horror film, but it’s actually

being considered. The mission is called Mars One, and has been the center of much

heated debate and controversy. It is one thing to dream of exploring Mars, but

completely different when keeping in mind all the requirements for a successful mission.

What kind of ship will be used to transport the astronauts? How long will it take? When

will it happen? Will there be enough resources for that long of a journey? All these

questions have been examined by the Mars One team consisted of many talented

individuals who all assigned a key role based on their strengths (Fundraising, Graphic

Design, Engineering) to make the Mars One mission a reality.

The main objective for the Mars One mission is not only to explore the red planet,

but to permanently inhabit it as well, meaning the astronauts who leave for the mission

are to never return. This filters out a majority of applicants, ironically assisting the

search process, leaving thousands remaining with hopes that they will be one of

the very few to go down in history as the first humans to step foot on another planet.

The ship designed to carry the crew is equipped to handle four astronauts. These

astronauts are to be resilient, adaptable, and most of all trustworthy. But with so many

potential applicants, how is the Mars One team to go about siphoning down the

thousands of applicants, until they are only left with the four most qualified individuals?

Through 4 selective rounds, kind of like tryouts, each round tests the applicant’s

durability, while becoming progressively harder, narrowing the amount of potential

candidates remaining, until they are left with the crew responsible for colonizing Mars.

First Round: All candidates are required to submit an application. Candidates can

submit their application in one of the 11 most used languages on Internet: English,

Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Russian, Arabic, Indonesian, Chinese

Mandarin, Japanese, Korean online to the Mars One website. Within the application,

applicants must disclose details about their life, prior training and experience, along with

a letter and a one minute video asserting why they deserve to be amongst the first of

our species to explore another planet. The most elite of the Mars One team then decides

whether or not which applicants make it to the next round.

Seems easy enough. The common app for colleges seemed more difficult.

Second Round: When the amount of applicants has been trickled down a bit, the

remaining individuals are then required to provide a medical history from their own

physicians, declaring them healthy and free of any potential pathogens that could get

the rest of the crew ill. After providing their medical statement they are then subjected to

an interview with the Mars One medical chief, Norbert Kraft, who questions potential

crew members on knowledge based questions about the mission and personal

motivations. The Mars One team then picks those who they think deserve to move onto

the next round accordingly.

Round Three: This round is sure to be the most entertaining. By this time, a good

majority of the applicants will have been eliminated, and the few that remain will be

among the elite considered. To accurately determine which candidates are to move on

to the last and final round, a series of group challenges testing stamina, strength,

knowledge, and durability will be conducted and observed by not only the Mars One

team, but potentially the whole world as Mars One expects to broadcast and publicize

this and any future parts of the selection process.

Round Four: By this time, the world will be honed in on which four individuals are

to represent the human race, and take the next leap forward into exploring the final

frontier. The Mars One selection committee will separate the remaining individuals into

groups of four, in which they are to live in a simulation of what is to be expected on the

Mars outpost. The Mars One selection committee will be observing their every move,

deciding which group is most capable of the mission.

The Mars One team states in the very beginning of their website,

“For anyone not interested to go to Mars, moving permanently to Mars would be the worst kind of punishment. Most people would give an arm and a leg to be allowed to stay on Earth it is often difficult for them to understand why anyone would want to go”

So I ask, do you have what it takes to be on the Mars One mission?

For more information regarding the mission, visit www.Mars-One.com

“Mars One Astronauts – Mission – Mars One.” Mars One. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2015.

Image via ‘Mars One’