Meet the Mars One Mission’s Top 10 Candidates

Apr 10 2015

Mars One, the group that is intending to send the first humans to Mars, has announced its final 100 candidates. Shortlisted from over 200,000, these 100 consist of 50 men and 50, aged between 19 and 60 years old, from all over the globe. There are 39 from the Americas, 31 from European countries, 16 from Asia, 7 from Africa and 7 from island nations. For more background on this topic, read: What is the Mars One Mission?

Mars One have ranked the candidates with a point scoring system, here is their top 10. Which would you send?

1. Christian O. Knudsen

Male Age 34
From: Denmark
Points: 2469
Personal Interests: Electronics, Computers, Fitness, Nutrition.
Christian is motivated to test limits, both personal as well as technological.

2. Mikolaj Zielinski (M1-KO)

Male Age: 38
From: Poland
Points: 1903
Personal Interests: Utilizing energy, Life extension and creating artificial life.
M1-KO says: “I am one of the first four Martians to arrive on your planet. After identifying the most developed species on Earth and learning how to interact with it.”

3. Josh Richards

Male Age: 29
From: Australia
Points: 1694
Personal Interests: Comedy, how the universe works and his ukulele!
If Josh could take 3 things to Mars it would his ukulele, and e-book reader and a camera.

4. Etsuko Shimabukuro

Female Age: 50
From: Japan
Points: 1161
Personal Interests: Civilization, Evolution, Universe, Humanity, Science, Technology, Opera/Musicals.
Etsuko is very grateful to have had so many opportunities on Earth. Now she wants to open the first sushi bar on Mars.

5. Dianne McGrath

Female Age: 45
From: Australia
Points: 1071
Personal Interests: Running, boxing, Pilates, weightlifting, general gym work, cycling, cricket, AFL and soccer.
Dianne has already jumped from planes and run marathons. She believes nothing is insurmountable.

6. Steve Schild

Male Age: 30
From: Switzerland
Points: 1040
Personal Interests: Include Sports, including extreme sports, friends, family, travel, adventure, politics, world events, technology, watches, traditions, science fiction.
Steve has a very inquisitive mind and is always looking for new challenges.

7. Ryan MacDonald

Male Age: 30
From: United Kingdom
Points: 834
Personal Interests: Space and Science, Physics
Ryan is currently working on designing a thermal-IR camera for a future visit to Mars’s moon Phobos.

8. Joanna Hindle

Female Age: 42
From: Canada
Points: 740
Personal Interests: learning, reading, pondering, writing, dreaming, outdoorsing, laughing.
Joanna is ready to give up everything she knows to be a part of the mission.

9. Lennart Lopin

Male Age: 36
From: Germany
Points: 724
Personal Interests: Mars, Space, Astronomy, Science, Math, Engineering
Lennart was a Buddhist monk and reckons he knows a thing or two about sensory deprivation.

10. Robert P Schröder

Male Age: 27
From: Germany
Points: 713
Personal Interests: Exploring, science, sci-fi, electronics, technology, reading, programming, problem solving, badminton, sports.
Robert has always wanted to be an inventor and explorer and is studying electronics.

Preparing for Mars

As part of a project to measure the effects of long-term isolation on astronauts, small groups of individuals have been selected to live in a tiny ‘Habitat’ perched on the upper slope of a volcano in Hawaii. In doing so, the project team has contributed to the understanding of issues that would confront a manned mission to Mars. For more information on this topic, read: Analysing Waste Gases During Simulated Mars Mission.