What is the Mars One Mission?

The Mars One Mission is the world’s first attempt to establish a human settlement on Mars. The mission is an independent spaceflight project that intends to send groups of humans to Mars, by the year 2025.

Mars One

Mars One, the team behind the mission, is a Netherlands-based, not-for-profit foundation. In 2011, the Mars One team started to develop a strategic plan to set up a human colony on Mars. Mars One have collaborated with leading specialists in space travel, including contractors Lockheed Martin and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.

The company have put together plans that include every aspect of the mission, including technical, financial, social-psychological and ethical components.

The Mars One Mission

Using already proven space technology, the Mars One mission plan will commence with several cargo transportations to Mars and unmanned preparation of the habitats.

If the Mars One initial mission is successful, humans will follow in groups of four, one at a time, and then every two years. As the settlements grow, new crews will arrive until all the astronauts are established on Mars.

The Mission in stages

The mission will consist of four different stages.

• Simulation outposts

Construction of several Earth-based simulation outposts will allow for training of the astronauts. It will also give the Mars One team a chance to try out different technologies and evaluate any construction issues. The team will use these outposts to see how the astronauts acclimatise to the living hostile conditions, but also adapt to the psychological deprivation and claustrophobia.

• Cargo launches

The mission will begin to send cargo such as satellites, rovers and construction material to Mars. It is thought that Mars One will use the Space X Falcon Heavy, which the Space X are currently using.

• Rovers  

Two Rovers will be sent to Mars. One will be used to explore the surface of Mars, to find the best location for the settlement and the second help in transporting the landing capsules.

• Human crew follow

Once the unmanned settlements are completed, the human crews will start to follow. The journey to Mars will take around seven months. The humans will travel in a space vessel that consists of a landing module and a living module.

The astronauts

The selection process to pick the human crew members of the Mars One Mission is already underway. In April 2013, the site received more than 200,000 registrations. This has since been whittled down to 200 and the final four groups of four will be picked by the general public.

Mars One state that this is: “Because this mission is humankind's mission, Mars One has the intention to make this a democratic decision. The whole world will have a vote which group of four will be the first humans on Mars.”

Life on Mars

For decades scientists have speculated on whether or not life exists on the Red Planet. Now, NASA’s futuristic robotic rover has picked up traces of methane, fuelling the theory that there could be life on Mars. You can read all about these new findings in: Is There Life on Mars? New NASA Findings Spark Curiosity…

Image Credit: Mars One