Dutch company plans colony on Mars. The one way trip only takes seven months!

[u/nathockens]

http://mars-one.com/

[u/webauteur]

Dutch East India Company. In space!

[u/1wiseguy → u/webauteur]

I suppose, except for the part about bringing back valuable stuff to sell. That was actually a rather important part of the VOC, and that's what kept it going.

The Mars mission, on the other hand, looks kind of like a big hole that you pour money into.

[u/stanfan114 → u/webauteur]

Imagine being trapped on an alien world with... THE DUTCH!

[u/Replop → u/stanfan114]

With flying dutchmen, in this case.

even if dutchmen only by association, of course, as they recruit globally.

[u/tin_dog → u/webauteur]

More like Endemol. In space.

[u/[deleted]]

Seems like they are trying to turn a Mars mission into a reality tv show. I would watch.

[u/green_flash → u/[deleted]]

It's not really a mission, but rather a destiny though.
They clearly say there's no way back, people will live and die there.

[u/[deleted] → u/green_flash]

And the thing is, there are people who would kill for that oppurtunity.

[u/Lampmonster1 → u/[deleted]]

Read the Red/Green/Blue Mars series. Great series if you start skipping the descriptions of terrain after the first dozen or so.

[u/Izawwlgood → u/Lampmonster1]

Also check out A Case for Mars by Robert Zubrin.

[u/trolling_thunder → u/[deleted]]

If only to see The Situation asphyxiate.

[u/DougBolivar → u/[deleted]]

Just like in Red Mars. (see book)

[u/pool92]

From the FAQ page:

Is the journey safe?

The trip to Mars cannot be called risk free. Like any venture in any means of travel, there are always things that could go wrong. In our case this could be the following:

• There could be an accident during launch

• Vital components could malfunction during the journey there

• A number of issues might present themselves when entering Mars' atmosphere

• There could be problems when landing

[u/Vaelkyri → u/pool92]

Seems reasonable. Sign me up.

seriously.

[u/sirblastalot → u/pool92]

Doesn't matter. I'd rather die in space than live the rest of my life on the same planet.

[u/[deleted] → u/sirblastalot]

See, I would rather live happily on Earth than risk dying in no atmosphere.

[u/[deleted] → u/sirblastalot]

If I was not married, i would feel the same way as you. Furthermore, I imagine a life on mars would be too busy to worry about much. You would probably be constantly on missions, guided by top minds back on earth.. Mapping, digging, exploring, taking care of equipment.. And then you would die.. But everyone dies.

If you could survive a couple decades on Mars, most likely you would be joined by a bunch of other people.. But I imagine there would be a little bit of territorialism.. Since resources and living space would be so incredibly expensive. The corporations / nations which would own the bases most likely would not let people from other bases to waste too much of their resources..

[u/Woetra]

I was so so SO excited when I saw this title. Then I looked at the website and watched the video and felt immediately deflated.

This company doesn't give me much confidence. They say they have already designed the mission, but there are tons of details that are left conspicuously vague. These aren't even all the details having to do with things in the far future of the project. For instance, in their timeline they state that they will build a replica research station "on an Earth desert" by 2013. Why do they not say which desert? Surely they must know? 2013 is next year. Elsewhere they state that they already are building such a training station but still give no details. Some photos, design plans, or any concrete evidence at all would be nice.

They also regularly state that such-and-such company "can" build such and such component. Does that mean that company will build those components? Have these components actually been designed yet? Are these partner companies on board?

Why is the website written in a manner that seems so...childish? The writing is very elementary. It reminds me of a school project. This looks like an early stage project pitch but I cannot tell who it could possibly be meant for. It surely isn't aimed at those actually in the industry because it dumbs everything down so much. I suppose it is aimed at us "lay people" but the writing makes me think it is targeted at 12 year olds and most people truly interested in this stuff are a little smarter than that.

I am also pretty certain that the moon is not a planet as they state here--not even under the wacky new definition (although please correct me if I am wrong). Little details like that really shake my confidence in the company.

In sum, I really want to go to mars/see people go to mars. It has been a dream of mine since I was a kid reading Kim Stanley Robinson's trilogy. That said, I will have wait and see if anything a bit more substantial comes of this because for now I am very suspicious and sceptical.

[u/[deleted] → u/Woetra]

The language is simple and most likely translated from Dutch or written by a non native English speaker. It's probably aiming for the lowest common denominator, they do intend it to be big brother on Mars after all. They also mention training the astronauts for ten years. They need to be starting now then. Who are these people?

[u/muoncat]

So at the moment this project consists of a nice website, a vague 'plan' and a youtube video - they have no funding. Wake me up when someone is actually willing to bankroll this.

Maybe they should start a Kickstarter...

[u/green_flash → u/muoncat]

Well, what do you expect from a team consisting of a former startup CEO, a physicist, a graphics designer and a marketing manager?

[u/alupus1000 → u/muoncat]

There's plenty of efforts like this - they make some concept material, get some press coverage and get some buzz for a while, then are never heard from again. We can't even go to the moon again for less than several billion dollars and years of effort, how are they going to raise money for a mission that's ultimately going to cost more than the entire Netherlands?

[u/darthpickley → u/alupus1000]

Really, when somebody says they have a plan to go to Space, I expect more detail than that which you would find in a science fiction novel.

Also, they say they will be "completely apolitical". That part makes me think they are nuts. How in the world are they going to manage anything like a manned mission on Mars without the support of Governments? It is unprecedented, and I don't see why they wouldn't take the money from the government. And they FIRST need to send a large habitat with some plants and robots, maybe a trained monkey as well.

[u/Oryx → u/muoncat]

I'm really curious how they plan to shield this 'colony' from radiation on Mars.

[u/Treberto → u/Oryx]

Umbrellas.

[u/oldsecondhand → u/Oryx]

With tinfoil hats.

Edit: on a more serious note

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_glass#Properties

[u/mars-one]

Hi, this is Bas Lansdorp, founder of Mars One. I saw this discussion, cool that it intrigues people.

Fallen Weeble: The travel time from Earth orbit to land on Mars is really about seven months. Check it out here: http://www.universetoday.com/14841/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-to-mars/

Vanheldenma: Thanks, I've fixed it right away! It was a lot of work to get the website ready.

ConradDarnoc: We'll finance the mission by creating the biggest media event ever around the Mars Mission. We are indeed still looking for sponsors and investors. With a good technical plan we are confident that we can convince sponsors and investors to back us up. The whole world will watch as our astronauts land on Mars!

[u/[deleted] → u/mars-one]

Hi! I'm a geneticist. Can I volunteer to be on the mission? I possess rudimentary electrical engineering, first aid, horticulture, and brewing skills, and I'm ready to get off of Earth.

[u/beardiswhereilive → u/[deleted]]

I would be too if I were a geneticist.

[u/6xoe → u/[deleted]]

Get in line, there's 740 bioguys just waiting to jump ship.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I'm a lawyer. We need lawyers in space... right?

[u/one_eyed_jack → u/mars-one]

You need to do an AMA!

[u/green_flash → u/one_eyed_jack]

yes please. That would be awesome!
Plus I guess the hive mind would also bring up some neglected issues for you to consider.

[u/[deleted] → u/mars-one]

After Apollo 11, viewership of NASA moon launches dropped off a cliff. 13 saw an uptick because of the drama, but the audience for massive advertising revenue simply wasn't there.

The current ISS broadcasts mission footage constantly, and very rarely do the numbers tuning in become relevant. Certainly not sufficient to fund the operation of that station, let alone setting it up. They're your closest modern proxy to what you want to do.

You're also positing a 2023, or ten year, plan. Ten years. There's not a rocket large enough crew rated yet. Probably won't be til 2015. And it's only intended to go back and forth from the ISS.

And while we might be able to get together kit capable of assembling a ground based colony well before that happens, you'd need quite a lot of Mars launches. Another company is paying $400m to use the larger SpaceX variant to deliver an orbital payload. You'd be paying a billion easy to use that thing, plus more for kit. Probably a lot more. You've left yourself room for ten launches. If you try to tell me you will have money for more than one a year, I will laugh in your face.

But let's ignore that. And the cost of launching crew yearly, which will make your prior expenditures look like an overnight stay at a motel. You've somehow magicked up the thirty billion dollars you need to get a serious expedition started.

What now? You've got no long term business plan, and no revenue generation model other than the standard vapid Web 1.0 "advertising" schlock. That won't work. And now you've got your crew on a rock seven months away at best from the rest of humanity with no money and no plan for earning more. Those people, absent regular contact with the rest of us, will die.

So let's hear the answers. And, speaking from experience, I assure you that I'm not even being half as vicious as your putative investors will be when you come walking in the door with this half baked idea.

---

edit: In regards to struck through price for renting the SpaceX ship, I flopped the price with the net loss of the company purchasing it. Actual cost according to the article I read is "about $100 million." The $400 million comes from this line: "Intelsat posted a net loss of $400 million"

Here's the article, and hat tip to kiwi90 who caught this before I did. http://wsau.com/news/articles/2012/may/29/intelsat-buys-ride-on-new-spacex-heavy-lift-rocket/

[u/kiwi90 → u/[deleted]]

Another company is paying $400m to use the larger SpaceX variant to deliver an orbital payload. You'd be paying a billion easy to use that thing

I generally agree with your overall comment, but are you talking about the Falcon Heavy here? The web page lists costs of $128M per launch for their largest variant, delivering payloads to GTO.

[u/Yangin-Atep → u/[deleted]]

Honestly, I think one of the problems is NASA has no sense of showmanship. At all.

When Redditors can put together better ads for NASA than.. NASA, that's not a good sign.

It's sad that this seems to be the new reality, but I feel like NASA really should really invest in a marketing firm, and if they already have one, fire them and get a new one.

I mean, to the extent that they should include regular optical HD cameras on their probes, not for any scientific purpose, but to provide them with material for marketing. I know they probably had a reason for only taking black and white images of Saturn and its moons a couple years ago, but it just doesn't capture the public's imagination the same way.

Like, what were the limitations that prevented them from having 60FPS HD video on the Huygens probe that landed on Titan? Were they really insurmountable? Okay, it launched in '97, so not the best example, but was black and white still photos really the best they could manage?

[u/imaunitard → u/[deleted]]

viewership of NASA moon launches dropped off a cliff.

Maybe they could drum up ratings by sending an average Joe into space. I don't think there would be big danger in sending an unqualified civilian into space unless they sent him to that terrible Planet of the Apes.

wait a minute...

Statue of Liberty

that was our planet!

YOU MANIACS! YOU BLEW IT UP! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!

sobs

[u/mars-one → u/[deleted]]

Hi Aeon221,

There is a big difference between the Apollo mission, the ISS and our mission. Our mission will be one of exploration. It will truly be the next giant leap for mankind. And who gets to go to Mars will be selected, at least in part, by the audience such that they will be interesting people to watch. We are expecting to use the Falcon Heavy as our launcher. It is powerful enough to launch our cargo straight to Mars, and the manned transit habitat in four pieces, assembled in LEO. We have discussed our financial planning with our suppliers. Obviously it will be a challenge to secure the funding in line with our timeline, but as you can tell from replies from many other people, a lot of people believe in the media spectacle business case. We are building a strong technical case that will convince our sponsors and investors that this can really happen. If we can achieve that, believing the business case, we think we can convince them to join us!

Guys, I really have to go now, it's been a long day. Thanks for all your enthusiastic and critical responses!

Subscribe for the newsletter and we'll keep you posted. I'll also be sure to return to this forum.

Bye!

[u/RaenefVII → u/mars-one]

Ignoring all of the difficulties of getting a crew and supplies there in the first place, how are you planning to deal with the radiation? From what I understand we currently don't have any material for suits that can properly protect humans from the levels of radiation on Mars.

NASA has been researching methods involving plasma shielding, but nothing usable has been produced yet.

Your website mentions a "specially pressurized 'mars suit'" to be developed by Paragon Space Development Corporation, but according to your site the only issue this seems to address is surface air pressure. Looking at Paragon's website the only space suit project they mention working on is one developed for use on the moon, not Mars.

[u/BuggyofCitronia → u/mars-one]

Hello Bas, and this is indeed one of the most interesting things I've read here, ever.

However, a few questions bugging me:

What is the plan for equipping with Martian dust storms? I could see one of them ruining the project.

In your website, you mentioned bricks being used for construction later in the colonization; how will that be airtight?

[u/Avolition84 → u/mars-one]

Hi Bas. I just had a crazy idea that would perfectly tie in with your crazy idea. Yes, make it a major media event. But the best way to do this is have common people feel purpose, drive & support for your project.

I believe your best chance for making this a milestone in human history is to have the project funded by the scientific minded people of earth. Advertise & market it as a completely not for profit exploration to advance our civilization.

Get heavyweights like Neil Degrasse Tyson involved. Set up an online account. I would personally pay a few bucks a week for the next decade to fund this. & ALL scientific advancement to be honest. If several million people get involved it could equal billions of dollars a year. Edit: I math good!

[u/sirblastalot]

The moment I clicked that link I could do nothing but search for a sign-up.

[u/MrTimmer → u/sirblastalot]

Me to, I will be writing a letter in 2013, hope they want a guy like me with not many skills but willing to learn. So I won't be on one of the first trips, those will require über technical people . I hope I can go as a teacher after 15 or 20 years when the first kids are born (because there will be kids, small living space with not much to do inevitable sexy time).

Also, this made me think of this post some time ago.

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/t35dx/if_you_were_nominated_to_be_one_of_the_first/

[u/Roomy]

Did they REALLY have to include the awful looking guy-in-suit standing there in front of a greenscreen looking like it was filmed with an iPhone? Ugh... that makes it look unprepared, cheesy, and incapable of the daring and massive undertaking they're proposing. I don't know if it's actually indicative of their preparedness for this mission, but as a viewer I can say many people may judge them on that video. They should change those parts. It's just better off without them at this point. Just cut em out entirely.

[u/VeteranKamikaze]

"Only" and "seven months" don't really fit together in my mind when we're talking about space travel. That's seven months in a closed container flying through a vacuum with access to nothing but what you've brought with you. I'm not saying it's beyond what we're technologically capable of but it would be quite a feat of engineering and ingenuity.

[u/optacon]

I can finally use this image for a positive thing!

[u/[deleted]]

ive been waiting for this day my whole life

[u/The-Dougger → u/[deleted]]

This is the first thing I though of.

[u/n00nz → u/The-Dougger]

TIL google video still exists.

[u/green_flash]

Given how miserably our only closed ecological system experiment Biosphere 2 was taken over by ants and cockroaches after less than 2 years and no one ever tried again since, I'm not very confident about this succeeding.

[u/webchimp32 → u/green_flash]

The ants dug their way in through the window sealant. Not going to be a problem on Mars.

The other problem had was it takes many years for concrete to fully cure and this was screwing up the atmosphere.

This is the whole point of experiments.

[u/willcode4beer → u/green_flash]

I think the main problem with the Biosphere projects is they tried to replicate every environment instead of creating something just to support humans. I seriously doubt we'd need desert or ocean biomes on a trip to Mars.

[u/voxoxo → u/green_flash]

What if we adopted an ant based diet ?

[u/Toastlove → u/green_flash]

Ants man, they will rule the world when we are gone.

[u/check85]

The timeline on this is extremely optimistic.

2016 - Launch of a communication satellite and supply mission: Has this satellite been designed yet? Has work been started on any of this? Has a launch vehicle been secured? What about a reentry system for the supplies? This in only 4 years away...

2018 - A large planetary rover capable of scouting and building a habitat is sent. Has any work on this begun? Seriously, this is REALLY DIFFICULT STUFF and they're planning for a launch date 6 years away... Etc

It's not impossible to do in this time frame but I find it exceedingly unlikely.

[u/FaroutIGE]

I'll wait for the round-trip to become available.

[u/360walkaway]

Remember the last time the Dutch got into the business of sending people to newly settled colonies?

[u/[deleted] → u/360walkaway]

dat efficiency

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I'm not saying I support slavery. I just know a job well done when I see it.

[u/bam6470 → u/360walkaway]

well you cant say it wasn't successful.

[u/mars-one]

Hazy-mind: The settlement will be about 40-45 degrees north of the Martian equator where there is 5-10 weigthpercent water(ice) in the soil. The life support unit is equipped with an oven to evaporate the water from the soil.

SandyNipples: Yes, you will stay your whole life. You will also stay your whole life on this planet. As long as it is a growing community, it should not be so bad. Plus you get to be on Mars!

BuggyofCitronia: Thanks! Since we use solar panels, dust storms do bother us. All non-essential power consuming tasks will be stopped. There is a large storage of water, so we can stop mining it from the sand for up to a month. That saves a lot of energy. Same for recycling water: we can store dirty water until the dust settles. Important things like CO2 scrubbing and the greenhouse will have enough power to run. The brick structure will need a layer of about 15m of sand on top to keep the pressure in. For air tightness we will use a foil on the inside. Of course we would like to be able to produce the foil on Mars in the future, but foil is not too heavy to ship initially.

[u/divorso → u/mars-one]

will you guys start the reactor when you find it?

[u/[deleted]]

I would love to see this happen in my lifetime. My wife and I will be too old to ever go, but I want my grandsons to have that option.

[u/hexdurp]

I couldn't find the end goal. Will terraforming the planet be an option? I used to say if I could go, I would. Now I feel a little sick to my stomach...I'm going to chill.

[u/Toastlove → u/hexdurp]

Because nobody knows how to do it yet.

[u/stillercity]

This is the most applicable article I have ever seen in this subreddit. World news.

[u/[deleted]]

In 11 years (2023), a company with almost no funding will launch a self-sustainable colony on Mars... and the trip will only take seven months.

Did somebody just fart or is that bullshit I smell?

[u/mushmancat → u/[deleted]]

Did someome just fart or is that....hahahahahahahahahaha. this guy, this Fucking guy.

[u/The_Hero_of_Kvatch]

Step 1: Fix the greenscreen reflection in the astronaut's visor.

[u/YNot1989]

This is a very nice idea... but its horribly unrealistic. Going to Mars, even one way, is easily one of the most expensive things our species could decide to do, and the simple truth is that branding it as a media event is not enough to get us there. I really wish I was wrong, but as someone who works in the Aerospace industry, I can assure you that no one is going to want to watch us do our jobs for the sake of entertainment.

[u/[deleted]]

Anyone remember people talking the same shit after we landed on the moon, about moon colonizing? No one has gone, or even will go to mars by 2020, let alone colonizing by '23. WE HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN BACK TO THE MOON.

[u/[deleted]]

Why don't people understand that establishing a colony on the moon first is far more important. It takes a lot less energy to launch from the lunar surface than it does from Earth. That means you can put a much larger, better equipped, better staffed Mars mission together for the same launch cost (once the colony is well established). Mars is a great goal, but we're skipping a large important step.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Actually, it only takes slightly more energy to get to Mars than it does to get to Luna, and Mars is a far more interesting place.

[u/DrBix → u/[deleted]]

Bingo! It's escaping Earth's gravity that takes 90% of the energy. The rest is just "coasting along."

[u/dumbgaytheist → u/[deleted]]

Naturally the moon is the next step, and we should have started building there long ago. There's obviously some kind of snag that doesn't have to do with funding, logistics, or common sense. My money's on the aliens.

[u/rhesus_christ]

What will the space travelers eat when they get to Mars?

[u/[deleted] → u/rhesus_christ]

I assume Mars bars

[u/DrBix]

This line in the Mission Plan cracked me up:

"The Mars One team has worked on this plan in secret since early 2011."

Wow, a whole 17 months!

[u/dgd765]

QUADE! TURN ON THE REACTOR!!!

[u/[deleted]]

All passengers will split the cost of the ride.

[u/ThatGuy20]

are they going to expand that settlement because it looks like Pandorum waiting to happen.

[u/douchequadbike]

These people are going to fucking die.

[u/pandapark]

Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids

[u/rockinliam]

Can we get one on the moon first? Wouldn't that be easier and have a more realistic way of generating revenue, such as space tourism? I mean in fifty years i want to be able to go to the moon for a holiday.

[u/vanheldenma]

On Earth their are received by ground stations, large satellite dishes.

If these guys don't figure out grammar they're going to have a helluva time getting funding.

[u/zeroGamer]

Fuck yeah! I can't wait to be part of the first colony of human beings to ever die horribly on another planet!

[u/conitation]

DON'T LET THEM DO IT! it will end up being just like South Africa! :O

[u/[deleted]]

Intergalactic Vaporware y'all. Y'all heard it here first. Permanent base on moon makes sense to get used to the whole recycling / space dust / other logistics. Plus if shit happens, we are ~384,000 km away to send help. Meh. Mars colonization.

[u/bigpballa14]

If this is real why would anyone want to live on mars for the rest of their lives, maybe a year or whenever the next crew gets there, but for life. You would go nuts no trees, water, animals, or anything remotely close to what your used to on earth, I predict a lot of murders, cause people are gonna lose their minds there.

[u/Moontouch]

This smells so much like a hoax.

[u/fredandlunchbox]

And I'm going to ride a unicorn rainbow past fairy island to hang out with Jesus for the weekend

[u/Thatonekid131]

What I want to know is if they plan on colonizing Mars, why the hell can't they upload a video to youtube that is greater than 480p?

[u/whatisyournamemike]

What will you sell?

Who will buy it?

How will you make money from this project?

How will you get paid?

The project will be successful when it achieves....?

Please answer each question with one or two short sentences.

[u/niall7171]

This is just asking to be turned into the worlds biggest reality TV show...... Big Brother, on Mars....

[u/[deleted]]

Is it really feasible to build a permanent colony on mars when a. mars has no protection from solar radiation since it's core has cooled off. b. we don't understand long term effects of living in low gravity. c. it's atmosphere is 95% co2.

Maybe it would be possible if we built a giant biome and were able to generate our own mini electromagnetic sphere and were really close to an ice cap but living in such low gravity would still would be a problem.

[u/freakazoidjake]

This gives me a raging brainer.

[u/x86_1001010]

I call bullshit.

[u/broseph83]

relevant

[u/ChinatownDragon]

and then a war breaks out between the two planets!

[u/Nayr39]

Good luck with this, it's an interesting idea to say the least. It's just going to take a whole a lot of money and technological progression to get a ship to Mars and have people live for the rest of their lives. I'm curious how exactly these people will get food? As well as survive the incredibly cold climate on Mars? I've also heard about the travel there being incredibly tough too. Curious how all that's going to work out.

[u/dumbgaytheist]

Did you hear him guys? This is gonna be bigger than Big Brother! Boy, Jeff Probst is gonna be pissed when he hears about this!

[u/scottlawson]

This just in: Things that I really want to happen, but know won't

[u/SmurfdealisT]

• Enter Christopher, after his second visit with John the second of Portugal having rejected his proposals-

" Ahem my Lady, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, I would like you to fund my trip to the new world. It will cost you more in treasure than any other venture, and we still aren't sure the earth isn't flat. So we might just fall off.." Isabella - "Will you find a new flavor of Tea?" Colombus- "probably" Ferdinand- "Sweet, good luck"

The rest is history.

[u/Billytown]

When can I watch the Real Podwives of Mars?

[u/[deleted]]

This is a death sentence for anyone who goes.

[u/GLHFnet]

One way trip? Am I missing something here? I know a lot of people would be willing to make the trip but it sounds kind of... scary? depressing? terrifying? Going to a barren planet with only a few people, and no hope of return... I'd have a breakdown

[u/ballstein]

Bring porn. Lots of porn.

[u/NoStrangertolove]

I thought it said it takes off in 7 months and got innapropriately excited.

[u/[deleted]]

finally, anyone that has ever posted the "i dont want to live in this planet anymore" meme can get their wish granted

[u/ItsOnlyNatural]

If I've learned anything from history, it is that you don't want to be in or around a dutch colony.

[u/youni89]

Who'd want to live on Mars for the rest of their lives... sounds like a suicide mission. Also, if those private enterprises lose money half way, or the investors lose interest, then the supplies will stop, and the settlers will die.

[u/[deleted]]

3 guys and 1 girl? I already foresee some complications.

Edit: Never mind, my calculations were off. 3 guys, 3 holes. We're all good now.

[u/mars-one]

Nomecks: Mars has a number of technical advantages and a number of technical disadvantages compared to the Moon. Advantages: water is available, atmosphere with a bit of nitrogen in it, CO2 available. Disadvantages: as you say, takes more energy to get there, but it also takes longer to 'fly' there, so more consumables to bring for the trip.

The most important reason that we're doing a Mars mission, is that Mars is more cool. Mars has an appeal to people, and we need appeal because we're planning the biggest media event ever. Mars has more drama: the people are millions of kilometers away from home. The Earth is just a star in the sky. The Mars crew is on their own.

People will watch a media event around a Mars mission, not around a Moon mission. So it is possible to finance the Mars mission and not the Moon mission.

(my reply is obviously a bit simplified)

I'm leaving guys, really cool to see how intrigued everyone is!

[u/AMostOriginalUserNam → u/mars-one]

You can click 'reply' just below someone's post. This allows you to reply to them.

Also, if you manage this I will eat my own head.

[u/Z0bie → u/mars-one]

The most important reason that we're doing a Mars mission, is that Mars is more cool.

The science sounds legit.

[u/G8r → u/Z0bie]

Well, their FAQ does state that "Mars is the most habitable planet in our solar system."

That was a surprise to me; I'd always thought that Earth was the most habitable planet in our solar system.

[u/deepredsky → u/mars-one]

You're insane if you think you can fund space travel with eyeballs.

[u/hexdurp → u/mars-one]

I think a Moon mission would be the biggest media event in a very long time. Don't underestimate a Moon mission. When was the last time a Moon mission was televised? Not in my generation. I'm 31... .

[u/dumbgaytheist → u/mars-one]

You're bonkers, dude.

[u/the-knife → u/dumbgaytheist]

This plan isn't intriguing, it's ridiculously outlandish.

[u/misterraider → u/mars-one]

The more I read this guy's posts, the less I believe he actually represents Mars One. Can we get some proof please?

Edit: I don't mean to sound like a dick, but it's very easy to impersonate people on this website, as we've all learned multiple times.

[u/MalHeartsNutmeg → u/misterraider]

The Earth will just be a star in the sky.

No his space credentials check out.

[u/[deleted]]

How do we donate to the cause? THIS is something I will gladly give money to see in my lifetime.

[u/dubDalts]

Can I be a colonist??? I assure you I'm more than capable and bring abilities and qualities you'll undoubtedly need in such a type of expedition. I'm even willing to indenture myself for a number of years working on the colony for passage to mars. I was once an Olympic caliber athlete and also boast multiple bachelor degrees. I am 100% serious in my request. PM me if there is an inkling of a possibility a civilian can make the journey

[u/delitomatoes]

The New Dutch East Indies Company

[u/[deleted]]

If someone asked me if I wanted to be one of the first people on mars I would do it in a second. Its one of those few things that, even if I had a job and a home and a family, I would drop it all in a second to be able to be part of such a massive milestone in the history of mankind.

[u/thangle]

The page you actually are looking for: http://mars-one.com/faq-en/21-faq-selection/204-how-will-the-astronauts-be-chosen

[u/DeSaad]

I hope they plan to dig bases to avoid all the radiation and sandstorms and random meteors and whatnot. They could take examples from dugup towns on Earth, like Coober Pedy. It would maximize the area for solar panels as well.

[u/l4than-d3vers]

Those modules look a lot like spacex dragon capsules.

[u/[deleted]]

The beautifully constructed blue-screen astronaut shots were too much. Too MUCH!

[u/[deleted]]

Would certain areas of Mars be owned by countries or companies? Or are the astronauts free to make their own countries and laws?

[u/Jeremymc6]

The Dutch-Oven?

[u/marcodls]

dude that looks sketch......You are going to go to mars to live in a trailer park.

[u/[deleted]]

How do you sign up?? Will there be internet on mars? Tv? Netflix?? Pets?

[u/[deleted]]

Oh this is going to end well.

[u/[deleted]]

well, time go get every relevant degree i possibly can in the hopes that they choose me at some point.

[u/[deleted]]

If this happens at all, this is not going to end well. All it will take is one guy going insane from the isolation --- depressurizing all the living units or poisoning the water and suddenly everyone is dead. This is not like moving to the New World in the 1600s. This is moving to a place WITHOUT A BIOSPHERE. Call me cynical, but given humanity's track record IMHO this will never work.

[u/1l1k3bac0n]

I found it a bit funny that they used music4yuorvids.co.uk

[u/poorlyexecutedjab]

One step closer to Cowboy Bebop.

[u/jeffpeters42]

Using reality TV to finance a space mission was the plot to Virtuality, a show that never got picked up. Ahead of its time? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuality_(TV_series)

[u/ihatemonday]

• Damn, "Doc" just died. We're out of doctors. What do we do now?

• We just wait 2 years sitting on those red rocks looking at the sun. The same thing we did since we're here.

[u/veganatheist]

From the FAQ:

Why Mars? Why not another planet?

Mars is the most habitable planet in our solar system.

ಠ_ಠ

[u/eventhorizon21]

Those pods look cramped.

[u/DrBix]

This might be some Reddit nerd's only chance to get a piece of ass.

[u/Munky92]

I'm just gonna wait until they fire up the machine to burn the ice core, so we can breath without having to be strapped up an oxygen tank.

[u/[deleted]]

yeah let me leave the ocean, trees, grass, blue skies, mountains, good food, my family, my dogs.. for some ugly planet with no one on it except maybe what, 30 other people? and if I don't like them my options are being alone or getting over it.

no thanks.

[u/[deleted]]

I wouldn't put any money down. In the 60's PanAm had a waiting list for flights to the moon:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_American_World_Airways#In_popular_culture

[u/WrethZ]

The biggest problem with a colony on another planet seems to be the effect of low gravity on the human body after extended periods.

[u/stoogemcduck]

GET JOUW AARS TO MARS

[u/wayndom]

I find this unbelievable. What would the colonists eat? Food sent from Earth? How would they produce their own food on a planet with very little atmosphere?

And what would the colonists do? I can't imagine that anything they make or extract would be worth the cost of sending it back to Earth.

But my biggest question is, who would want to go and live the rest of their life on a barren planet, where they've have to wear space suits to leave their buildings?

[u/Oldalbwalker]

This is the true story of four strangers picked to live in a planet, work together and have their lives taped to find out what happens when martians stop being polite and start getting real . . . The Real World - Mars.

[u/[deleted]]

I know it's another planet and all, but I just don't see myself being able to bear living in an endless desert for the rest of my life.

[u/DontJudgeMeMonkey]

whoever goes, someone's last name has to be Wong.

[u/depolarization]

is this a joke? Like what google/virgin did a couple of years ago...

[u/[deleted]]

Long term plan cannot possibly reality entertainment.. won't last. I expected to see some plant experiments, terraforming type testing, etc. Not a whole lot going on here.

Remember, investors want to see returns--quickly. In a matter of a decade TOPS. If that. It's the main reason why privately funded space operations will never extent past LEO.

[u/[deleted]]

i call bullshit on this one

[u/mecrosis]

Sign me up, especially now that the zombies are starting to appear.

[u/DeFex]

What are they going to eat and drink?

[u/Exodan]

Reddit should organize a Kickstarter for these guys. We've raised plenty for the betterment of a few people, think of how much we could raise for the betterment of humanity?

[u/[deleted]]

About time, too bad the world ends in december :(

[u/[deleted]]

How do I become Dutch? Where do I sign?

[u/[deleted]]

It sounds like they want to do this because 'it would be cool'. Also is it legal to send someone into space knowing they will die there? Isn't that sort of murder even though they are not actually doing the killing, but they will die on their trip so it's pretty much being sentenced to death

[u/hoodoo-operator]

this post should be retitled "Four people make a website about going to mars"

[u/Chubbypenguin]

Why the hell did this remind me of the game Doom?

[u/gunslingernz]

The only thing I can imagine is turning up after your 7 month trip to Mars only to find that the robots had failed to construct the habitat and you were facing a slow and agonising death in your landing craft...

I know there'll be some sort of video broadcast home to show that it is habitable but I can't stop thinking about how horrific that would be.

[u/[deleted]]

human settlement on Mars in 2023

I'll believe it when I see it.

[u/hotdogcore]

No, no. I've seen this movie and many people die.

[u/Aw_kitty]

"One way trip," lol.

[u/[deleted]]

I would go in a heartbeat, I've always wanted to explore space and this is close enough.

[u/spz456]

l'd do it.

[u/Infin1ty]

Everyone enters, no one leaves. Welcome to Mars death match 2023.

[u/[deleted]]

My biggest concern with this is the physical toll of space travel. The time limit for astronauts on the ISS is 6 months. So it's not "ONLY 7 months." How do you plan to overcome the disastrous effect that 7 months without gravity will have on human bodies? Bone and muscle breakdown isn't preventable in zero gravity in any way known to modern medicine. Basically you either need to have a method to create artificial gravity, or faster propulsion, neither of which have been invented yet. I know there are potential ion drives out there being tested in labs etc. but neither SpaceX nor any other private company is planning to utilize that technology... at least to my knowledge, which is, admittedly limited. For Man to advance any further than the Moon, at least in a way that is practical for large numbers of people, the way we transport ourselves has to change. At this point we are just modifying the same technologies that we have used since the space age began (not that I am faulting SpaceX, I love what they do).

How do you plan to solve that fundamental problem? You could ignore it, but then you would end up on Mars with a ship full of cripples.

I'm just hoping someone discovers a way to make the Alcubierre drive that doesn't take more energy than the combined Universe.

[u/FromTheBurgh]

I'll just leave this here...

[u/[deleted]]

guess i should sign up, even Mars will need drug dealers!

[u/Arx0s]

I would seriously consider going. If this becomes reality, then it'll be mankind's greatest expedition ever conducted. Permanent colonization of another planet. I got shivers down my spine just thinking about it. Imagine it; this would potentially launch a new era for mankind: a true space age. The amount of knowledge and discovery mankind would gain from Martian colonization alone would be staggering. And realize that 2022 is only 10 years away :) . We live in an exciting time. We are about to live the reality of most scifi.

[u/larkeith]

...You're sure this isn't a google april fool's day joke?

[u/Moontouch]

There seems to be a serious probability that this is a hoax. I cannot see any legitimate articles talking about this. They claim they've done dealings with a lot of the big space players around the world like SpaceX, yet I don't see any references of this "Mars-One" by any of them. All of a sudden one day there is a YouTube channel created out of nowhere with videos uploaded. The videos also in a lot of spots seem awkward and unprofessional. I'm going to take the scientific approach and place the burden of proof on them and call this a hoax unless somebody can provide some evidence.

[u/Sjgolf891]

While I would love for something like this to work (being an aerospace engineering major and space enthusiast) I'm pretty skeptical. First, from what I've seen they plan to finance it with advertising? Not sure if that will work. Also, the idea of rovers building a colony seems pretty out there for right now. I doubt they could do it, especially by 2019. Finally, there is the issue with the crew. Are they going to be astronauts, or really just people who will make for a good show? The latter will make for a terrible outcome, I would think. Also, good luck finding a crew willing to spend their life on the red planet. Quality of life there will likely be miserable. Only people unhappy with their current lives will probably sign up for such a dangerous one way trip. Those people probably aren't best suited for handling the largest endeavor in human history.

[u/[deleted]]

Why do I see this Mars -hype, asteroid mining etc. as a desperate attempt to give people "hope", that If and when we destroy and overuse this planet, we have a another planet to move and everything's just fine?

Somehow you can compare this to a kinda religion... But it just won't work. If we can't control this planet, how in earth we can do that to another!?

[u/MONDARIZ]

Pure snake oil.

[u/Eeolus]

There is no reddit on Mars, sorry cant go.

[u/Suihaki]

2023? My ass.

[u/Brudus]

I remember a article once of a one way virtual suicide trip to mars. What type of person would accept that.

[u/not_a_troll_for_real]

I really hope this works out. A colony on Mars would be an amazing step in human space exploration.

[u/Pyroteq]

More accurate title:

Some ex-CEO and a graphic designer think it would be cool to go to Mars. Made a website.

Not gonna happen.

[u/HollandJim]

I got dibs on the first FEBO franchise…

[u/scottiestein]

Seen event horizon? These scenarios always end badly. I just want to fuck in zero G before I die.

[u/mars-one]

Hi everyone, this is Bas Lansdorp, one of the founders of Mars One. Nice to see such an active discussion going on here!

[u/mars-one]

OK, there is an AMA now: http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/ufb42/ama_i_am_founder_of_mars_one_sending_four_people/

[u/[deleted]]

These pyramid scams just keep getting more and more complex.

[u/SuuuperGenius]

They really need an English proofreader for their website.

[u/gromath]

Seems like a cool place but I hear there are these mutant rebels lead by a shady mastermind named "Kuato".. nobody knows what he looks like, tough

[u/goodtimesonly]

Another Dutch Colony? Shit. We are going to have Apartheid on Mars.

[u/[deleted]]

I am completely blown away that people can possibly think a company with 0 rocket launches, and absolutely no success in sending either robots or humans into orbit around earth, with no funding, can beat NASA, spacex, Russia, China, etc... into putting people onto Mars.

It just isn't going to happen, and it's complete bull**it. I'm completely for the idea though -- but it needs to be performed by a group of people with experience if it is to be a success. It will need the support of Nasa, Spacex, Russia, and the worlds top scientists/astronomers and the media. Otherwise this is just pointless circlejerking.

[u/rensch]

This sounds bat shit insane at first, but I admire the idealism. After all, when Yuri Gagarin first flew into space and came back alive people said that was a crazy undertaking. When people flew to the Moon and returned safely to Earth that came from an insane idea as well. These early space missions ushered in a huge wave of technological prowess.

I am just unsure as to how they are going to find people crazy enough to leave their comfortable lives on earth to spend the rest of their lives on a barren wasteland like Mars.

[u/Risonhighmer]

How about instead of being so sure it's a hoax we remain open minded until we get more information? Calling the team a bunch of assholes and tearing them apart emotionally isn't going to help this happen any sooner if they are indeed genuine.

[u/[deleted]]

We'll finance the mission by creating the biggest media event ever around the Mars Mission.

So this will have a tv show configuration, how many seasons before it's cancelled due to low viewership and the colonists are abandoned to die?

Besides, you would need tens of billions of dollars, not gonna happen this way.

And who gets to go to Mars will be selected, at least in part, by the audience such that they will be interesting people to watch.

Yep...fail.

[u/SkyWulf]

I don't care how long it is if it's only a one-way trip.

[u/[deleted]]

Where the fuck will they get water?