So who wants to fly to Mars... one way? Mission for volunteers receives over 1,000 applications from budding astronauts before it was even announced



Dutch firm plans reality TV show to choose its team

Plans to land four astronauts on the red planet in 2023, with four more arriving every two years

To boldly go where no man has gone before is quite a challenge.

But to boldly go knowing that you will never return to Earth may be asking a bit too much.

This has not deterred a Dutch-led research institute, however, which has launched a search for volunteers to take part in a one-way mission to Mars... where they would set up a human settlement.

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Endemol, the production company behind Big Brother, has announced that it will document the progress of a group of hopefuls as they compete for a 2025 ticket to the red planet. This illustration shows what the settlement on Mars would look like

WANT TO GO TO MARS?

Mars One says it is not necessary to have military training nor experience in flying aircraft nor even a science degree. Candidates must:

'Be at least 18 years of age, have a deep sense of purpose, willingness to build and maintain healthy relationships, the capacity for self-reflection and ability to trust.

They must be resilient, adaptable, curious, creative and resourceful.

Mars One is not seeking specific skill sets such as medical doctors, pilots or geologists.

Rather, candidates will receive a minimum of eight years extensive training while employed by Mars One. While any formal education or real-world experience can be an asset, all skills required on Mars will be learned while in training' To apply, click here

Successful candidates will have to undergo eight years of training before blast-off in 2023.

The Mars One Institute pulled no punches yesterday: ‘They should realise that if this project is successful, they won’t be coming back.’

Former NASA researcher Norbert Kraft, Mars One’s medical director, said: ‘Gone are the days when bravery and the number of hours flying a supersonic jet were the top criteria for selection.

'Now, we are more concerned with how well each astronaut works and lives with the others – and for a lifetime of challenges ahead.’

Mars One aims to raise money to help fund the project through a long-running, global, reality TV show, which will select the first 24 candidates and follow their training.

Viewers would vote for who should be on the first team of four to leave Earth in ten years time. By 2033 the colony would reach 20 settlers.

Journey time to Mars, which is approximately 40million miles away depending on its position in orbit, would be around 200 days.

Settlers would encounter a barren, cratered landscape, an unbreathable atmosphere made up of 95 per cent carbon dioxide and temperatures ranging from 35C to minus 135C.

Mars One will launch several unmanned missions in the next 10 years to prepare the ground for the arrival of the colonists. The Mars lander and rover, illustration pictured, will help scout out ideal locations for the colony

The Dutch-based project wants to launch a supply mission to land on Mars by October 2016. The landing systems will be tested eight times before they are used to transport humans - a move that Mars One said will make the trips 'much safer than moon missions' Journey time to Mars, which is approximately 40 million miles away depending on its position in orbit, would be around 200 days. An artist's illustration of the colony is pictured



