posted 04-23-2013 01:03 PM               

Mars One starts its search for the first humans on Mars

Mars One is happy to announce the launch of its astronaut selection program today. The search has begun for the first humans to set foot on Mars and make it their home.

Mars One invites would-be Mars settlers from anywhere in the world to submit an online application via apply.mars-one.com

This online application will be the first of the four rounds that together make the Mars One selection procedure. Round One will run for over five months and end on 31st August 2013. Applicants selected at the end of this round will include the first crew that will land on Mars in 2023. Mars One selection committees will hone the search for the first crew in three subsequent rounds and further training.

"We are very excited about launching the selection program. Round One is where we open the doors to Mars for everyone on Earth. This is an international mission and it is very important for the project that anyone anywhere can ask themselves: Do I want this? Am I ready for this? If the answer is yes then we want to hear from you," said Bas Lansdorp, co-founder of Mars One.

In the last year Mars One received 10,000 messages from prospective applicants from over 100 countries. Mars One expects an unprecedented number of applications and even more internet users visiting the application website to support their favorite candidates.

Applicants are given the choice of publicly sharing and promoting their application page. While Mars One experts will choose which candidates progress to Round 2, everyone will have the opportunity to know the aspiring settlers and give them their vote of confidence.

Applicants will pay a small administration fee that varies across nations according to their per capita GDP. The variable fee makes the program equally accessible for applicants from all nations and also reduces the number of insincere entries.

Mars One is looking for applicants who are both mature and interesting. Beyond Round Four,in the seven-year period preceding their flight to Mars,all the potential settlers will be given the skills they will need on Mars and on their journey there. No particular academic or professional background is considered a prerequisite for selection.

"Gone are the days when bravery and the number of hours flying a supersonic jet were the top criteria," said Norbert Kraft, Mars One's Chief Medical Director and former NASA senior researcher.

"For this mission of permanent settlement we are more concerned with how well each astronaut lives and works with others and their ability to deal with a lifetime of challenges."

Throughout the astronaut selection program, Mars One will select applicants who have good physical and mental health and show five key character traits: Resilience, Adaptability, Curiosity, Ability to trust others, and Creativity/Resourcefulness.

In the last stage when 24-40 candidates have been fully trained and qualified, the final decision of choosing the first settlers will be decided by an audience vote.

"In a 1000 years, everyone on Earth will still remember who the first humans on Mars were, just like Neil Armstrong has etched in our memories forever. This makes the selection of the first crew to a different planet a very important election; in my opinion more important than most elections. We hope the whole world will join Mars One in our democratic search of the envoys of mankind to Mars," Lansdorp said.

About Mars One

The Mars One Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that will send humans to Mars in 2023 to establish the first permanent settlement outside Earth. Before the first settlers land on Mars a self-sustaining habitat will be set up with help of rovers and more settlers will follow every two years. A realistic mission plan has been designed using only existing technology available through the private space industry. The first footprint on Mars will fascinate and inspire generations; it is this public interest that will help finance this human mission to Mars.

posted 12-30-2013 01:18 PM               

Mars One Slashes Applicant Pool by 99.5%

Across the globe, 1058 hopefuls have been selected as candidates to begin human life on Mars in 2025.

On December 30, 2013, Mars One announces the selection of the candidates from the applicant pool of over 200,000 hoping to establish human life on Martian soil. Mars One co-founder Bas Lansdorp describes the remaining 1058 candidates as our first tangible glimpse into what the new human settlement will truly look like. Lansdorp says "We're extremely appreciative and impressed with the sheer number of people who submitted their applications. However, the challenge with 200,000 applicants is separating those who we feel are physically and mentally adept to become human ambassadors on Mars from those who are obviously taking the mission much less seriously. We even had a couple of applicants submit their videos in the nude!"

The selection criteria are outlined in detail on the Mars One website. All applicants were notified today via e-mail of their application status. For the applicants who were not selected in this round, there is still a chance they could reapply at a later date, which has not yet been determined. According to Lansdorp, the chance for reapplication provides hope. "US astronaut Clayton Anderson was rejected by NASA for its astronaut training program 15 times, yet in 2007 he boarded the Space Shuttle Atlantis for a trip to the International Space Station. He proved anything can happen and the door is never completely closed."

So what's next for the 1058 pre-selected Mars hopefuls? Norbert Kraft, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Mars One and recipient of the 2013 NASA Group Achievement Award says, "The next several selection phases in 2014 and 2015 will include rigorous simulations, many in team settings, with focus on testing the physical and emotional capabilities of our remaining candidates. We expect to begin understanding what is motivating our candidates to take this giant leap for humankind. This is where it really gets exciting for Mars One, our applicants, and the communities they're a part of."

Details of the 2014 selection phases have not been agreed upon due to ongoing negotiations with media companies for the rights to televise the selection processes. Expect further information to be released in early 2014. Lansdorp says, "We fully anticipate many of our remaining candidates to become celebrities in their towns, cities, and in many cases, countries. It's about to get very interesting."

This announcement comes on the heels of a wild finish to 2013 for Mars One. On December 10th, Mars One launched their first ever crowd-funding campaign, focused on bringing funds and attention to the first mission, an unmanned trip to Mars scheduled for 2018. On the same day as the crowd-funding campaign launch, Mars One announced in Washington DC, agreements with aerospace titan Lockheed Martin and the world's leading small satellite company Surrey Satellite Technology to develop mission plans for the 2018 mission. 2014 figures to be even busier for the team at Mars One than 2013, with multiple applicant selection phases, worldwide education events, and more.

posted 06-02-2014 06:01 AM               

Mars One Teams with Endemol for Worldwide TV Event

Mars One and multi-award winning factual producer DSP (an Endemol company) today announced they have entered an international partnership to screen the mission to send the world's first one way astronauts to Mars.

DSP becomes the exclusive worldwide production partner for the Mars One astronaut selection and training program, which will see people from all walks of life undergo one of the most extraordinary and challenging assessment processes ever seen.

705 highly motivated candidates, shortlisted from over 200,000 who applied to become future inhabitants of Mars, will be tested to the extreme as part of an elite training program run by a panel comprised of pre-eminent scientists, adventurers and astronauts.

In order to qualify for the mission, each individual must demonstrate that they have acquired the intricate knowledge and skills as well as the high levels of psychological and physical performance needed for the most long distance voyage humankind has ever embarked upon.

DSP will document the aspiring pioneers' astonishing journeys every step of the way in the lead up to the mission, which will see the winners become the first to make the 300 million-mile, one way trip to establish permanent human life on the red planet.

Human settlement on Mars is possible today with existing technologies and Mars One's mission plan integrates components that are well tested and readily available from industry leaders worldwide. However, no return trip can be made. Instead Mars One will send additional crews every two years to further build the pioneering colony.

With the astronaut selection process already underway, the first instalments of DSP's landmark production are expected to begin broadcasting around the world in early 2015. Further details and announcements are due to follow soon.

Bas Lansdorp, Co-founder & CEO of Mars One said, "Bringing the story of our incredibly brave aspiring Martians to the world now officially begins with what we feel is a perfect partnership. Our team felt all along that we needed a partner whose strength lies in factual storytelling to an international audience. DSP will provide that to Mars One, while allowing our selection committee to maintain control of the applicant selection process. This really is a perfect fit for both of us!"

Iain Riddick, DSP's Head of Special Projects and Digital Media, comments: "It is a great privilege for DSP to be chosen to exclusively follow the incredible journeys of those who will make humankind's first footprint on Mars. This has to be the world's toughest job interview for what is without question a world-first opportunity and the human stories that emerge will captivate and inspire generations across the globe."

About DSP

DSP has a long established reputation for producing world class television programmes and theatrical documentaries for UK, US and international broadcasters. The company has achieved global industry recognition for its ground breaking output and has received more than 40 industry awards, including accolades from BAFTA, The Peabody Awards, The Royal Television Society and the US Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences.

Credits include: The Mill (Channel 4), Richard III: The King in the Car Park (Channel 4); How to Build a Bionic Man (Channel 4 and Smithsonian Channel); Earth From Space (NOVA and Discovery Canada), 'Hawking' (PBS and Channel 4); Dead or Alive (National Geographic Channels International Wild); Nazi Megastructures (National Geographic Channel) and Neil Armstrong: First Man on the Moon (BBC Two).

DSP is part of Endemol, a world leading content creator with a global network of operations in over 30 countries including the USA, the UK, Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Latin America, India, Israel, South Africa and Australia.

posted 09-04-2014 10:30 AM               

Mars One Announces Chance To Win Two-Way Trip to Space

Mars One launches the Ticket To Rise Campaign to aid the 2015 Earth mission and 2018 Mars missions.

Today Mars One announces their Ticket To Rise campaign to give space-enthusiasts a chance to win a private trip to space. Participants earn entries into the space trip drawing in exchange for joining the campaign.

The campaign will provide funding for a 2015 Earth mission, which is a simulation project to replicate the future Mars human settlement here on Earth, as well as the 2018 Mars mission to Mars.

The Mars One Ticket To Rise campaign will reside on the Urgency Network platform, in partnership with Motherboard, VICE Media's science and tech channel. The Urgency Network provides campaign supporters opportunities to earn entries to win incredible experiences, purchase reward items, and complete actions like donating, watching videos, and sharing content.

"We are enthusiastic about the Ticket To Rise campaign and the opportunity to send a lucky participant to space aboard the XCOR Lynx Mark II spacecraft", commented Bas Lansdorp, Co-founder and CEO of Mars One. "This campaign fits well into our strategy of building awareness and momentum for space travel. Most importantly, it gives our passionate community a free chance to win a space flight and spread the word to others about our mission to the Red Planet."

"We've always been motivated by projects that seek to accomplish the impossible," added Urgency Network Co-founder, Brandon Deroche. "In our eyes, there is no greater opportunity on Earth than giving people the chance to leave it, so we're honored to support Mars One's mission to colonize the Red Planet through Ticket To Rise."

Ticket To Rise will introduce brand new, never-before-seen Mars One gear and products throughout the campaign. To earn an entry into the contest, participants can visit urgencynetwork.com/marsone and choose to donate or purchase Mars One items.

posted 02-16-2015 12:49 AM               

The Mars 100: Mars One Announces Round Three Candidates

From the initial 202,586 applicants, only 100 hopefuls have been selected to proceed to the next round of the Mars One Astronaut Selection Process. These candidates are one step closer to becoming the first humans on Mars.

"The large cut in candidates is an important step towards finding out who has the right stuff to go to Mars," said Bas Lansdorp, Co-founder & CEO of Mars One. "These aspiring martians provide the world with a glimpse into who the modern day explorers will be."

The Mars 100 Round Three candidates were selected from a pool of 660 candidates after participating in personal online interviews with Norbert Kraft, M.D., Chief Medical Officer. During the interviews the candidates had a chance to show their understanding of the risks involved, team spirit and their motivation to be part of this life changing expedition.

Dr. Norbert Kraft said, "We were impressed with how many strong candidates participated in the interview round, which made it a very difficult selection."

Who are the Mars 100 Round Three candidates? There are 50 men and 50 women who successfully passed the second round. The candidates come from all around the world, namely 39 from the Americas, 31 from Europe, 16 from Asia, 7 from Africa, and 7 from Oceania. The complete list of Mars One candidates can be found here: Mars One Round Three Candidates.

What further challenges will these candidates face? The following selection rounds will focus on composing teams that can endure all the hardships of a permanent settlement on Mars. The candidates will receive their first shot at training in the copy of the Mars Outpost on Earth and will demonstrate their suitability to perform well in a team. More information about the selection process can be found here: Mars One Selection Process.

"Being one of the best individual candidates does not automatically make you the greatest team player, so I look forward to seeing how the candidates progress and work together in the upcoming challenges." said Dr. Norbert Kraft.

Candidates that were not selected to continue will have a chance to reapply in a new application round that will open in 2015. New application opportunities will follow in order to train candidates that can replace eliminated teams and join the crews of settlers that will leave Earth to live on Mars.

posted 06-06-2016 11:17 AM               

Mars One reveals new details on Astronaut Selection Round Three

Mars One released new information about the third round in the Astronaut Selection Program during a private Mars One event in Amsterdam. The third selection round is designed to trim down the remaining 100 candidates to forty through a series of group challenges. The candidates will compose the groups for the third round themselves.

Over the course of five days, candidates will face various challenges. It will be the first time all candidates will meet in person and demonstrate their capabilities as a team. Candidates will start the group challenges in 10 groups of 10. These groups will change throughout Round Three due to continuous elimination, and the selection round will end with 40 candidates.

In this round the candidates will play an active role in decision making/group formation. Mars One has asked the candidates to group themselves into teams with the people they believe they can work well with. All groups have to adhere to certain criteria, such as a gender ratio of 50/50, as well as maintaining age and nationality diversity. The self-selection placement has already started.

"We want the groups to be as diverse as possible, and to utilize the uniqueness and special contribution from, for example, different backgrounds in order to solve complex problems, as a continuation of the work in JAXA and NASA", clarifies Mars One's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Norbert Kraft.

The majority of the challenges Mars One plans to conduct were previously used in a study by NASA in order to determine:

• The best crew / crew combination
  
• The best selection tools
  
• The best training method for long duration space flights.

Indoor and outdoor group challenges will, amongst other things, test the candidates' ability to work in a team within limited conditions, interdependency, trust, their problem-solving and creativity skills, their thoroughness and precision, and their clarity and relevance of communication. The candidates' knowledge of provided study materials is essential to progress in the challenges. Candidates are eliminated based on their behavior both inside and outside the group challenges, which will be reviewed by the selection committee. At the end of each day, a sociogram will be used to explore the candidates' preferences with whom they would like to work and live with, and this will be taken into consideration by the selection committee when deciding whom to select out. Every day, ten to twenty candidates will leave the selection.

The selection procedure will provide insights into group dynamics. How did the candidates organize themselves into teams? How well did they solve problems as a team? How did each candidate handle the conflicts that inevitably emerge when facing a challenge together?

"The challenges are designed to determine the candidate's key competencies. Additionally, individual debriefing sessions after each group challenge will provide us with insights into morale, motivation, norm settings, coping strategies and decision making.", explains Dr. Kraft.

The Mars One candidates come from all over the planet, and will undertake the long journey to Mars to live there for the rest of their lives. Mars One selection committee members Norbert Kraft, M.D., Prof. Raye Kass, PhD, and James Kass, PhD possess understanding of different cultures as well as many years of experience working with extreme environments, and, of utmost importance, isolated habitats. They have professional experience in the field of Human Space Flight (Group Dynamics/Long duration Space Flight/ Medicine/Psychology/Psycho-physiology) and extensive work with astronauts from JAXA, NASA, CSA, ESA, and RFSA.

From this selection round onward, the selection procedure and training activities of the astronaut candidates will be filmed for audiences across the globe. Forty remaining Round Four Candidates will begin the isolation portion of the screening process. The results of the isolation challenge will reduce the forty candidates down to thirty who will then undergo the Mars Settler Suitability Interview. "It will be exciting to see how groups are formed and which candidates will succeed these selection rounds.", concludes Dr. Kraft.

posted 12-07-2016 10:21 AM               

Mars One presents an updated mission roadmap

Mars One presents an updated mission roadmap, adjusted to its new financial strategy, which involves Mars One listing its commercial activities at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

In the updated Mars One mission roadmap, the first unmanned mission is moved to 2022. The dedicated communications satellite is rescheduled to 2024. The resulting roadmap is as follows:

• 2022: Unmanned demonstration mission sent to Mars. Mars One will use the same platform design as the 2007 NASA Phoenix mission, and plans to work with the same supplier (Lockheed Martin)

• 2024: dedicated Mars synchronous Communications satellite sent to Mars

• 2026: Rover that will select the settlement location sent to Mars

• 2029: Launch all hardware and a second rover. The two rovers prepare the settlement for the arrival of the manned crew. Life support systems will have produced water and a breathable atmosphere before the first astronauts depart

• 2031: First crew of four astronauts departs and travels to Mars in approximately 7 months

• 2032: Landing on Mars of first crew and of the hardware for the second crew

• 2034: Landing of the second crew and the hardware for third crew

The current astronaut selection and training timeline is as follows:

• 2017: From the current 100 remaining astronaut candidates in Mars One's selection process, 3-6 groups of 4 crew members will be selected and hired full time to train for the mission. Additionally, a new application round will be opened.

• 2018 - 2031: Several crews in training will drop for various reasons and will be replaced by new crews from regular astronaut selection programs

• 2031: The Mars One Selection Committee will determine the eligible crews to go to Mars. The audience will play an integrated part in the selection: If candidates are equally qualified, the audience will have the decisive vote. Furthermore, they also will get the opportunity to support their favorite group.

Lansdorp: "Mars One can only implement the mission to Mars if we can afford it - and we need investments to get going. Being listed on a stock exchange will make fundraising more straightforward. In order to make Mars One's commercial activities an attractive investment with the potential of a good return on investment, Mars One had to adjust the timing of the planned unmanned and manned missions. This pushes the large expenses associated with the mission hardware back in time, making the company cash positive sooner. The delay we are currently announcing is also because it took us longer to get to this point than we originally anticipated. Of course the whole Mars One team would have preferred to be able to stick to the original schedule, but this new timeline significantly improves our odds of successfully achieving this mission roadmap".

Mars One is currently raising up to €10 million in the first round of funding after the listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. This will provide enough funding to move the mission to Mars forward: award new contracts to suppliers, organize the next round in the astronaut selection process, hire team members with experience in implementing Mars missions, and crew selection and training. Additionally, Mars One Ventures, the commercial arm of Mars One, will build a core team of experienced media professionals to develop the Mars One brand, including by creating captivating media content for audiences around the world.

posted 02-12-2019 09:28 AM               

Mars One Ventures AG in Administration

On February 5, 2019, the Court of Appeal of the Swiss canton Basel-Stadt confirmed that the Swiss corporation Mars One Ventures AG, one company of the Mars One group, is in administration. The company has a thirty day window to reverse the administration process.

Mars One CEO Bas Lansdorp emphasized that the related entity the Mars One Foundation is not affected by this procedure.

Trading of the shares of Mars One Ventures AG, listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, was suspended for non-compliance with the FSE regulations when the number of shares was increased in 2017. The company was on its way to correct these compliance problems for the resumption of trading of the shares; these efforts were upended by the current situation.

During the last few months, discussions have been held with a new investment company. The goal of the investor and Mars One is to achieve either a reversal of the administration or a restart based on a financial agreement with the liquidator.

The total debts of Mars One amount to CHF 1.1 million (approximately € 1 million). The investment company has expressed its intention to reach an agreement with all creditors.

Once out of administration, Mars One will redirect its focus. For the execution of the actual voyage to Mars, the company will continue to seek strategic collaboration with renowned companies and organizations involved with the travel to Mars. Mars One itself will focus on the even more inspiring "being there", the adventurous story of humans actually living on Mars, making The Red Planet their new home.

Utilizing its new investment plan, Mars One Ventures will establish a marketing machine, creating continuous content about these activities, evaluated from all angles, including technological, psychological, economical, and ethical aspects.

The new investor will present its plans at a press conference on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at a location to be determined.