14 DAY TRIAL // Only yesterday, Mars One (i.e. a Netherlands-based nonprofit organization whose members hope that they will be the first to walk on said planet in ten years’ time) made it public news that ordinary folks can also apply for a job as a “Mars colonist.”
Apparently, the organization wishes to debut a reality show whose sole purpose will be that of giving candidates the opportunity to prove their worth and become astronauts without ever having taken a step inside a NASA office or a space ship before.
Those who wish to apply for one of these peculiar job opportunities must make sure that they are in good health, both physically and mentally, and that they are more than willing to entirely commit to this project.
Needless to say, applicants must be over 18, and their cognitive abilities must be well above average.
Space quotes Norbert Kraft, who used to be a NASA researcher and who is now employed as the chief medical director of Mars One, who wished to draw attention to the fact that, “Gone are the days when bravery and the number of hours flying a supersonic jet were the top criteria.”
“Now, we are more concerned with how well each astronaut works and lives with the others, in the long journey from Earth to Mars and for a lifetime of challenges ahead,” he went on to add.
Prior to their being sent into outer space, the astronaut wannabes selected by means of this reality show will have to undergo an extensive training program, which is expected to last for a period of roughly eight years.
According to the same source, only four people will eventually be chosen to colonize Mars in 2023. However, others will join them as the years go by.
The televised selection process for this ambitious project will begin later this year.
Fair warning though: nobody ever mentioned anything about plans to return these Mars colonists to Earth, so those wishing to apply are advised to carefully consider their plans for the future.