Good news! You made it to the finals of an incredibly elite crowd and are at the top of your game, mentally and physically! You will have the incredible honor of being one of the first humans to colonize Mars!
Bad news…well, you’re gonna die there, you know.
The 202,586 applicants for the Mars One mission have been weeded down to a mere 100 semi-finalists — the Mars 100 — according to this statement. These 100, including 28-year-old Carl Edward LeCompte of Bellevue, will face off to become one in the final six groups heading to train for their one-way ticket to Mars, where they will build a human colony — and die.
Talk about a commitment.
To get down to the Mars 100, applicants were selected after “personal online interviews” (I don’t think I’d want someone deciding my fate based on a Skype-like call.) with chief medical officer Dr. Norbert Kraft. The candidates had to show team spirit, understanding of the risks and motivation to be a part of history. “We were impressed with how many strong candidates participated in the interview round, which made it a very difficult selection” said Kraft in the statement.
They rounded it down to 50 men and 50 women, 39 from the Americas, 31 from Europe, 16 from Asia, seven from Africa and seven from Oceania. The list is remarkably varied, with ages ranging from early 20s to 50s.
What’s next in probably the ultimate test that ever existed? Finalists will go into teams where their endurance skills will be put to the Mars-like limits. The Mars 100 will eventually be narrowed down to 24, with this first group of humans scheduled to reach Mars in 2025.
And while somebody has to do it, and we applaud you, you better be damn sure you want to go. Because, like the Red and Blue pills, there isn’t any coming back.
