It's 78,000 and counting. That's the number of current applications from 120 countries to make the one way trip to colonize Mars. There are going to be four people chosen to become Martians for the rest of their lives. When Drake told me about this, it started me thinking about what kind of people choose to leave Earth forever and finish their lives on another planet.
My first thought was, "the same kind of people who got on Magellan's ship on August 10, 1519 to sail around a largely unknown world'. And how about the people who set sail for Jamestown in 1607? Then we have the first people to blaze the Oregon Trail in a wagon train west to the Pacific from Missouri in 1836. When the women and men climbed onto those wagons, it was clearly understood they were leaving their childhood homes, their parents, siblings and friends forever. Still they went. I think the people who are applying for the one way trip to Mars are cut from this cloth.
The Mars expedition shares a lot of commonality with earlier pioneers. Everybody participating knows this isn't going to be a pleasure cruise. Water will be so precious for the Mars colonists that none of them will be showering for the rest of their lives on Mars. There are also no guarantees. The track record of 'first' colonists is not exactly promising. Ever wonder where the people who settled first in Roanoke,Virginia went? Heaven would be my guess.
At to the Mars specifics. A company called Mars One has developed a mission to establish a human colony on Mars by the year 2035. (Hmm. I could be around to see this...maybe.) The first four colonists would land in 2023, followed by successive colonists in groups of four apparently about every two years. Oh, and there will be a 24/7/365 broadcast back to Earth of the entire enterprise. I wonder if anyone has really thought THAT through. Can you imagine? That broadcast could be a train wreck, or the most compelling soap opera ever. Remember the movie The Truman Show?
I am still trying to wrap my head around the type of person who leaves everything familiar - even breathable air, and heads to a different planet. Of the 78,000 so far, almost 18,000 are Americans, followed by about 10,000 Chinese, then Russians, British, Mexicans and Brazilians. The company feels they are 'on track' to get the 500,000 applicants they were hoping for. If you pull up the Mars One web site (http://applicants.mars-one.com/overview/most-viewed/) you can see that the applicant part of the website is being run in a social media formula. There are pics, favorites, ratings (using the star system), U-Tube videos by the applicants and number of applicant 'hits' are also being tracked. The company intends to 'broadcast' the selection process for the applicants.
In addition to the social media aspect, there is also merchandise to be bought, press releases to be read, philosophies to be studied, technology to be mastered, and donations to be contributed. I can't decide if this is the slickest con job ever, or if these are dreamers and daring adventurers. Time will tell. In the meantime, applications are being accepted through the end of August.
