REAL LIFE NEWS: PROBLEMS WITH THE MARS ONE MISSION
by Hazed
The Mars One mission always sounded a bit dodgy to me. The plan was for a one-way mission to Mars, to colonise the planet. The training period and the journey there would be run as a reality TV show, which would fund the mission.
Of the thousands of people who applied to take part, the list of the final 100 candidates were chosen a few weeks ago. Now one of them has spoken out about the state of the mission – and it’s a shambles.
I reported a while back that scientists had examined the feasibility of Mars One mission plans and concluded it just wouldn’t work and that the colonists would die. But the problems go a lot further than that.
Josh Roche is one of that final 100, and he says that in order to make the cut he didn’t go through a rigorous selection process – he didn’t even meet anyone from the Mars One project face to face. All he did was send them a video, fill in a very basic application form, and have a brief Skype interview.
What’s more, he says that the funding for the mission is in doubt. The TV company that was due to provide a lot of money in return for the broadcast rights has pulled out. Those taking part in the mission who are interviewed about it are asked “kindly” to donate 75% of their fee towards the mission costs! It all sounds very dubious.
Issues have also been raised about the lack of a training facility and no contracts with private aerospace suppliers.
All in all, it sounds like a terrible mess. Which is a shame.
Source: http://www.techienews.co.uk/9725387/mars-one-finalist-raises-alarming-concerns-reveals-startling-details/
https://medium.com/matter/all-dressed-up-for-mars-and-nowhere-to-go-7e76df527ca0
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/18/mars-one-astronaut-joseph-roche-space-missions
