Mars One: Mars colonization project already has 78,000 subscribers

A few months ago, we published here in Mega Curioso a story about the Mars colonization project developed by the Dutch company Mars One. Those responsible for the venture wanted to open a worldwide selection process to choose the group of settlers that will be sent - one way - to the Red Planet. Do you remember this?

Well, applications were opened two weeks ago and the project already has more than 78, 000 subscribers! According to Mars One, people from 120 countries have already applied, and most of the candidate colonists are Americans (with 17, 324 registered at the time of publication), followed by the Chinese (10, 241), British (3, 581), Russians, Mexicans, Brazilians (16 candidates), Canadians, Colombians, Argentines and Indians.

Candidates

Both the information and the presentation videos of the registered candidates can be viewed through the website of the Dutch company, and the goal is to reach the number of 500, 000 subscribers by August 31, the deadline for registration. Out of this total, the organizers will select - through several knockout stages - 24 people who, after hard testing and a long period of training, will finally travel to space.

The chosen ones will be divided into six groups of four individuals, and will be prepared for seven years for the trip. In the meantime, Mars One has committed to building a sustainable - and livable, colony, of course! - based on a realistic and accurate design backed by technologies already available. Once completed, the structure will receive new settlers every two years, with the first wave expected to depart in September 2022.

Terran colonization

According to the project's creators, the colony will be maintained through solar panels that will occupy an area of ​​3, 000 square meters for energy production. As the experts explained, although Mars is farther from the sun than Earth, its thin atmosphere eventually compensates for this loss of solar radiation.

According to Mars One, the use of solar energy is possible because it will not be necessary to produce fuel for the return trip. Thus, the company stresses that anyone who decides to apply must keep in mind that they will never return to Earth, and that Mars will be their new home, where the colonizers will live and work for the rest of their lives.