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This portion of a color mosaic taken by NASA's Mars Curiosity rover shows strata exposed along the margins of the valleys in the "Pahrump Hills" region on Mars. The scale of layering increases upward, providing what's called a "thickening upward" trend. This is consistent with a variety of ancient environments, in particular those that involved water.

(Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

Laura Smith-Velazquez, 38, poses for a photo in the Flight Deck Research & Development Lab at her employer, Rockwell Collins.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- As a little girl, Laura Smith-Velazquez' telescope was her ticket to the stars and distant planets. Now, she might trade it in for an actual trip.

The Dorr, Mich., native discovered this week that she's one of 100 worldwide candidates selected to participate in a mission to begin colonizing Mars.

Mars One, a Dutch-based non-profit, intends to choose 24 people to make up six crews of four, which would begin blasting off to the Red Plant every two years beginning in 2024. It's a one-way trip.

"It's one of those things," Smith-Velazquez said. "It's a love of adventure, this dream and the hope to contribute to something amazing."

The 38-year-old engineer, who now lives in Maryland with her husband, Matthew, has an impressive resume: She currently works in a flight deck research lab, holds two degrees from Florida's Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and certificates from the Federal Aviation Administration. What her CV doesn't describe, however, is her personality.

Wallflowers need not apply to Mars One. Smith-Velazquez explained the organization sought people who were outgoing, those who can take charge given a challenging task. Some 200,000 people expressed interest in the program when it first was unveiled.

She called herself a people person, laughed, and added, "definitely."

"Someone who is a recluse is not going to make it," Smith-Velazquez said. "You have to set your own rules, your own laws. The type of person they really want, I think, is someone who's charismatic and has more than enough energy."

Earlier: Mars is warmer than West Michigan?

Prior to lift-off, Mars One plans to put its astronauts through a series of technical and group training exercises, including a period spent in isolation on Earth. Those deemed not up to par with the mission will be replaced by another candidate.

That's where Smith-Velazquez hopes her husband comes in -- he applied but was not selected for the current group.

Choosing to go without him will be "the hardest decision of my life," she said. The couple has no kids, but leaving this life for another isn't something she takes lightly.

Needless to say, there are significant risks involved. No human ever has set foot on Mars, and some spacecraft sent there have been lost.

The Pilgrims didn't necessarily understand what they were getting themselves into, either, Smith-Velazquez rationalized.

"You have to have a certain level of risk-taking," she said. "You can die walking out your front door, in a car accident, whatever. ... You can't plan for everything because there are so many unknowns.

"Some people bury themselves in their house because of risk. ... Doing something like this has to be a dream. You have to be willing to take that step and challenge."

Smith-Velazquez recently told one of her sisters she was picked as a candidate. Family seemed more surprised that out of thousands, she's among the few closer to living on another planet.

"My friends got me a telescope when I was 8," Smith-Velazquez said. "I would stay out there half the night in dark Dorr, freezing, dreaming I could live and work in space.

"I'm pretty sure that surrealism will wear off once the real work begins."

Andrew Krietz covers breaking, politics and transportation news for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at akrietz@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.