100 Remaining Candidates Compete for the Controversial One-Way Ticket To Mars

Mankind is about to conquer Mars, but the bad news is, whoever gets to the planet first has no way out.

The one-way ticket to Mars is a project by the Dutch company Mars One. The company claims that it will establish the first permanent human settlement on Mars and is searching for the best candidates to fulfill the mission.

According to Mars One, the launching of the company's manned mission to Mars will be in 2020 and the chosen crew will depart for their one-way ticket to the red planet in 2026. After that, an additional group of people will follow every 26 months. This way, the steady growth of the man-made Martian settlement can be assured. 

The company revealed the last remaining 100 candidates will undergo further testing to see if they are fit to live, and eventually die, on Mars.  After testing, Mars One will cut down the number to the final 40. But only 26 lucky candidates will be sent to the Martian colony. 

It may look exciting, but the tests are based on life preservation.

"As they will not be returning to Earth, those selected must be capable of living in small groups, finding water, producing oxygen and growing their own food," according to Mars One in a press release published by DailyMail.

The idea might sound absurd to some, but more than 200,000 applicants signed up to get a one-way ticket to Mars. People have their own dreams and preferences, which explains why some find the idea of dying on Mars appalling, why some will give their best to be chosen. 

"I really want to go out there, I really want to experience it for myself," said Zacary Gallegos, one of the candidates, in a statement.   

NASA is preparing for their own Journey to Mars in 2030. In comparison, Elon Musk said he intends to send people to Mars in 2024. But Musk also admitted that his 2024 mission is another one-way ticket to the red planet since his space shuttles still don't have what it takes to go back to Earth after reaching the planet.

The Mars One project is partially funded by a reality show. Although men might indeed land on Mars in this lifetime, how will Mars One carry men to Mars? This is where SpaceX gets in the picture. 

Elon Musk's company recently announced that for a minimum of $62 million, it will offer cargo service to Mars for anyone who needs to bring any amount of payload to the red planet and it might just make Mars One's dreams possible.