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LMS Issue 3 | 2014
Kobus Vermeulen
When Business Intelligence Developer, Kobus Vermeulen,
first read about the Mars One Project, he immediately knew
that this was something he had to be a part of. So, when
the applications for this novel project opened, this 31 year
old was one of the first individuals to apply for this historic
mission. Kobus recently made it to the second round of the
selection process and is currently one of 25 South Africans
in the running to win a one-way ticket to the Red Planet.
LMS recently sat down with Kobus to discuss the good news.
Q
Please tell the LMS readers a
little bit about yourself?
I am a 31 year old Business
Intelligence Developer from Pretoria,
where I have lived all my life. A business
intelligence developer is a type of
computer programmer that works with
the data that systems produce in order
to help management make informed
decisions. I am also currently working
towards a BA in Languages and Literature from UNISA. So I guess you could
say I am a real life ‘Data Ninja’ and an
aspiring Wordsmith-astronaut.
Could you tell LMS readers
something that the SA public
don’t already know about
you?
Two of my poems were published
in New Contrast literary journal a year
or two ago. I’m a complete chocoholic,
especially Swiss chocolate.
You have just been named as
one of 25 SA hopefuls for the
Mars One Project. Could you
just tell us how you heard about this
opportunity and what process did
you go through to enter?
I first heard about the project from
an article in Wired magazine. I found
the concept fascinating, so I read the
Mar