From what I've seen they said they would make the announcement and then at the last minute they backed out... Sounds fishy, maybe it was something the govt didnt want the public to know (ooooh conspiracy theory)

That makses me sad

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/01/mars-astronaut-requirements

Mars One, a nonprofit organization based in the Netherlands, intends to establish a human settlement on Mars in 2023.

They need astronauts.

Anyone on planet Earth can apply if they meet the basic requirements. But obviously, the job isn’t for just anyone.

Today, Mars One released its application criteria. Among other virtues, astronaut candidates must have “a deep sense of purpose, willingness to build and maintain healthy relationships, the capacity for self-reflection and ability to trust. They must be resilient, adaptable, curious, creative and resourceful.” And be at least 18 years old (no maximum age has been set).

The selection process will begin during the first half of 2013. Mars One experts and viewers of a “global, televised program” — think reality TV where the prize could be a trip to a dry, dusty world — will choose from among the applications. Those ultimately selected will be assembled into teams of four. At least six teams are supposed to be ready to launch in September 2022. But only one team will make the first trip to the Red Planet, and that team will be decided democratically.

“The people of Earth will have a vote which group of four will be the first Earth ambassadors on Mars,” the Mars One website says. Subsequent teams will be sent in two-year intervals.

At least eight years of training will be provided before launch, including simulated missions, practice in a restricted mobility environment, and lessons in electronics, equipment repair, basic and critical medical care. In 2016, the company plans to begin rocketing supplies to Mars, including spare parts, two rovers, and living units that can be assembled into a base once humans arrive.

But it’s a one-way trip for all involved: Once on Mars, there’s no coming back.

OMG Yes!

This is the start of an interesting era. An era that will be filled with controversy.
We will see more and more initiatives like this that create unparallelled opportunity... FOR THOSE THAT QUALIFY. For obvious reasons, if you where to start a colony on Mars you will want the best and brightest. In fact ANY great leap forward for humanity will use the Best and brightest. Which means the slower, poorer, less than ordinary people will be left further and further behind.

Just a thought.
When they make the call for the best 500 million people in the world to get on a spaceship and go to the stars, will you make the list? Will you be fit enough for the training? Smart enough to qualify? Know the right people to sneak aboard?

this is amazing!

@teb not sure if they will be the best and brightest. the article says that the audience also helps decide. have you watched a movie called idiocracy (stupid funny movie but had some good ideas)? I sometimes wonder if that will be our future.

Very, very awesome and so cool to see something like this in our lifetime. I personally would not even consider it lol (besides definitely not being able to qualify) but I'm also not nearly brave enough and think I would actually go loopy trapped with 3 other people for two years lol.

Really amazing stuff though.

Time to get in shape and apply.

those requirements man o_o

@Superfly haha most of them seem to be focused on surviving the trip If you have 8 years to prepare they can probably get you into shape if you don't have any existing health conditions, so it makes sense that the requirements are mostly for how you get on with others or by yourself and then of course a persons general ability to learn and adapt.

Gamers should be top choice then!

Let's Put An Asteroid In Orbit Around the Moon
Jan 10, 2013

In 2010, President Obama set a sky-high goal for NASA: to send a team of astronauts to visit a near-Earth asteroid (NEO) by 2025.

But rather then propelling humans on a dangerously long journey into interplanetary space, why not bring the asteroid here? This is the ultimate rock collector’s dream — plop a 500-ton space rock into orbit about the moon.

Bruce Willis couldn’t go walking around the on target asteroid, however. It would be only 20-feet across, small enough to fit in a backyard. NASA would not require something as exotic as a Star Trek tractor beam to tow the space rock back here. A robotic spacecraft would, literally, put the asteroid in a giant shopping bag and tote it home.

read article

If you have 25mins this is really interesting to watch

Wanna to go into space but not prepared to go all the way to Mars? Well Axe are sending regular people to Space camp in the USA and from those recruits they will choose 22 to go to space in 2014.

https://www2.axeapollo.com/en_ZA

Leave a man? So sexist. Jokes. But seriously, that's amazing. Crazy to think how humankind's real venture into space will be lead by big business... Virgin, Axe... the reality show they will be airing of the Mars One mission. That big jump that Felix Baumgartner did with Red Bull Stratos.

Can you imagine Christopher Columbus out to find Asia "Sponsored By Coca-Cola" with a big branded ship and a reality show. That's hilarious. I mean I know it's the only way we can do stuff like this - it needs money no matter what - but it almost feels like it's trivialised. I dunno, maybe I've just had too much caffeine lol.

thought it was sexist too, but more upset that they won't accept my surname. guess axe is focused at men so we can forgive them for the sexism. can't forgive them not liking double barrel surnames though

lol good point about the pioneering companies. makes sense that they are coming to the foreground with this sort of stuff. they will make sure that they find a way to profit from these ventures so maybe that makes them the best people for the job. it's just when they become greed that it becomes a problem.

I think part of the problem is that big business is really the only companies that can afford to sponsor these things these days. Governments are far too much in debt and trying to keep their countries out of the red these days to afford to properly fund space agency's like NASA anymore. And I'm sure the companies sponsoring have deals in place, like owning a piece of Mars or getting the right to be the only software drink vendor there thats making it worth their while. Also they have plenty of bucks to spend so we may as well make use of it.

And yeah, I think it's been trivialised as well, but thats what human existence has come down to today. Big Brother and all the other reality shows that have come on since then that promote retarded voyeurism show that pretty clearly. The trick now is to use it to our advantage, and this is a good way. Otherwise we're gonna be stuck on this rock for alot longer.

Inside NASA's Deal for an Inflatable Space Station Room

A new deal between NASA and a commercial spaceflight company to add a privately built module to the International Space Station could lead to future uses of the novel space technology beyond low-Earth orbit, space agency and company officials say.

NASA will pay $17.8 million to Bigelow Aerospace of North Las Vegas to build an inflatable module, test it and prep it for flight. The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) is to be launched around the summer of 2015.

The space agency and Bigelow officials provided details of the contract in a Las Vegas briefing today (Jan. 16).


Read the test of the article - has vids and stuff too

Earlier announcement of the inflatable space station plan - Has other vids

Snow said ...

Crazy to think how humankind's real venture into space will be lead by big business

Weyland-Yutani Corporation anyone?

haha yea I was so thinking that too!

Hahahaha point taken