Mars One
betting
colonizing
planet will
be great
television
30
30
By Amjad P. Zaidi
Mars One is a non-profit foundation, co-founded by
Bas Lansdorp and Arno Wielders, to establish a human
presence on Mars. The prime difference Mars One has
over similar peer programs is its unique strategy; this is
a one way ticket for a permanent “homesteading”
community in an apolitical and international long term
plan, thus removing a costly return trip.
The Numbers
Mars One aims to be funded and supported by a
global audience in a reality TV format generating
interest and income for preparation, transits and life on
Mars. As of September 2013, over 200,000 have applied
for crew selection aiming to make the first landing in
2023. The company has mapped out the multi-year
mission risk categories in terms of loss of human life and
cost overruns, estimating a budget of $6 billion over the
10 year program.
The Technology
Feasibility studies including approaches to global
private space companies (from SpaceX to Surrey
Satellite Technologies Ltd.) have generated interest
to potentially supply the integrated components from
www.RocketSTEM.org