Many of you have probably heard by now, but for the past couple of years, an effort called Mars One has taken off.

This is a private company (not funded by a government, like all other major space explorations) that plans on putting 4 humans on Mars by 2025... to live permanently.

They have already been through two rounds of applications (you can see who applied, and who passed on their website) from people of all nationalities. These people will train for the next 9 years or so.

How will it be funded? By a reality TV show, filming the applicants training and trying to prove they have the personality and skill to make it as an astronaut.

On Mars the occupants will have a green house, will draw water from the ground, and get their favorite websites regularly sync with the Internet.

A road map can be see here: http://www.mars-one.com/mission/roadmap

Let me ask you, would you be willing to go to Mars and live out your life? Do you think this project's success is probable, even possible?

This seems absolutely bonkers and insane, I couldn't imagine living out on Mars myself permanently. However it'll be interesting to see if it can be pulled off. It'll be even more interesting to see where this project leads to (such as making Mars inhabitable by all humans without the need of a space suit? Finding actual life on Mars or the remains of lost civilizations?) Actually, the more I think about it, the more science fiction the thoughts get and the harder my fantasies will probably fall. I can't imagine much coming from it scientifically apart from a "yeah, we can do that stuff now." just like how man landed on the moon back in the 1960's.

Or it could just create more conspiracy theories on how man also didn't land on Mars. Best of luck to everyone in that project, they earn my respect.

This is totally a neat idea, it's incredible thinking about these kinds of things and how far we've come to reach these possibilities. As for myself going to Mars I wouldn't want to be in the first group to go by any means, from my perspective they're basically guinea pigs to put it bluntly. I've read about a good bit of theories on how this would work out and it seems good and cool from a distance but we don't know exactly what will/can happen.
Even if everything were to work out fine I don't know how I'd feel about living there permanently supposing I would actually go to Mars. Mrs has a different gravity from ours and that has effects on the body, I'm sure maintaining a good work out regimen would help but it would still have long term effects on the body.That's something I'm almost positive hasn't been researched, the effects of what that would do to the human body from permanently living on another planet with different gravity.

Also as a side note, I don't know how I feel about the process being a reality show, it would be neat as a documentary of course but when you say reality show I can't help but think of worst case scenario.

styrofoamboots : A lot of people feel that way about the reality show.

Everything will be broadcasted, even their flight and life on Mars; it's really the only way to get enough funds... look at how much Big Brother makes.

But, like you said, it could be a disaster. What if over the next 8 years the whole world watches theses people train, and honestly get to know them better than some of our own close friends, and then take-off day arrives, and the ship crashes, killing everyone. How terrible would that be?!

I'm not speaking out against the idea, in fact, I do think it is a good idea; but it's something to think about.

Don't want to double-summon you but this is directed at you LK, haha.
I do see your point, I suppose it's something we'll have to wait and see about and it would be awesome to see the process of all of it. It would be a pretty big deal seeing all of that happen so I can see why they would choose to go that route with all the viewers they would get.  
Big Brother is a very good example as much as I hate it to be, and that kind of reality show is why I worry about this being one.
I'll just hope for the best for them, it would be an interesting thing to see happen and it would help further our knowledge on things space related. 

I think this is really exciting. I know a service member of the American Military has been approved recently for this. I think he is either Navy or Air Force, not sure which one. 

This post reminded me of a movie -- something about Mars.

Anyways, I would not go to Mars if I was not trained by NASA; these guys can go on their tour, but I wouldn't.

tRIUNE : I mean, I guess I would if the incentive was good enough. I just wonder if one of the 4 people is going to be able to handle everybody else medically, and how often supplies are going to be sent up to Mars. 

I mean, really? How are they going to eat? XD

Its pretty stupid.
It has practical applications, you can asses the feasibility of future colonisation, observe the effects on the human body, conduct scientific tests in an alternate environment, and work at developing tech to cope with these different conditions.
But the applicants? I think they will get disillusioned very quickly.
Day 1:Wow, so exciting, i want to explore. Oh, I cant just wander around?I need approval from base?
Day 7:This planet is so cool, I love exploring.
Day 14:Man, im bored, I want a beer.
Day 21:There is absolutely nothing to do on this planet, and im sick of spending 9 hours a day doing maintenance.
Day 28:I miss my friends and family.
Day 29: I wish I had a gun...

They arent going to be riding across the planet, finding new species and representing Earth. They are going to be guinea pigs in a giant red waste land,with no prospect of ever getting back to earth.
Completely vulnerable to supplies running out, solar events killing them off, or their vital life support equipment failing.
Need a visit to the hospital?Couple of months thata way buddy.

Not appealing at all.

thing1 : Two of the members will be trained extensively in medical care, and two will have extensive training in repairs to the equipment. Then each of them will be training in other things, such as geology, chemistry, etc. Many, if not the majority, of the applicants are already university grads of a science, so that helps too.

thenumberone : Yeah, it would be hard to stay there for the rest of your life. At least they are with 4 people. Also, 2 years after they land, 4 more will be joining them, then 4 more every two years if all goes as planned. The shelter they are building for the first 4 people will have enough room to comfortably sustain 16 people (for redundancy's sake), so they will have vastly more room than say, people on the space station, after the next 4, there will be space for 24. They will also get to choose some of their favorite websites to be updated daily, and bring some personal items, such as guitars, art supplies, books, etc. But I think the biggest time passer will be the numerous experiments they will have to conduct, and they grow their own foods.

Also, there were 100,000s of people who applied, and only a few will be going, I hope that the team responsible for choosing them would make SURE these people know what they are getting into, and have the capacity to do it; not the mention the near decade of training they will have to think things over.

Light Knight : Ahhh. That is good to know. I was hoping that some of the people would be specifically trained to do the major necessities. 

thenumberone : That is basically how I feel if I were to be asked to do this. Sure, there is a novelty of doing this, but it is just like you said. I mean, no more family, no hospital, no nothing. It would be fun at first, but it would get old really fast. 

I see a new Prison System for the future in this.

"Space. The final Frontier."
Mars exploration?
Turned into a "Reality T.V. Show"???
This is a funny and good idea both at the same time.

Would I go into Space?
Yes, for pioneering purposes. (Remember the ending to "Moonraker"? Look out Ladies.)
Seriously though?
No. I do enough damage here on Earth.
What if I got "voted off" of Mars?
My Mother would never forgive me.

Good Luck To All.
Peace.