The threat of extinction of humanity has plagued the minds for a very, very long time. Hollywood regularly releases films and TV series on the topic of various Apocalypses, researchers calculate the trajectories of comets approaching our planet and scare us with the consequences of climate change, and the Dutch undertake Bas Lansdorp has been working since 2012 to implement his grandiose project of colonizing the first alien planet called "Mars One" …
Mars is the closest planet to us where life can exist. Since the very first earthlings visited the red planet in 1960, scientists have conducted many tests and experiments and, in the end, came to the conclusion that human colonization of Mars is in principle possible.
Less than a decade is left before the start of the Mars One project. According to the plan, the first colonizers will go to Mars in 2024.
About 200 thousand people expressed their desire to take part in the project, and this number is constantly growing. And, actually, why not? Who wouldn't want to take a trip to Mars? But before embarking on such an adventure, make sure that you are aware that:
This will be a one way ticket
While the idea of going to Mars can seem overwhelmingly exciting, anyone who decides on it should understand that this is a one-way ticket. That is, the colonizer will never return to Earth and die on the red planet. In the meantime, researchers continue to work on this problem (not very successfully yet), so perhaps the opportunity to return will still appear.
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The selection process is unusually rigorous
Absolutely anyone interested can fill out a questionnaire for participation in the Mars One project on the site, but this is where the easy part of the selection ends. This is followed by several very difficult training periods, including imitation of life on Mars, to test how well the applicants are able to cope with extraordinary situations. In the end, out of thousands of people, the best 24 will be selected, who will be divided into six groups of four people for further training for the space mission.
There is no internet on Mars
For many, this factor is likely to be decisive. There will be no internet on Mars. No Facebook, no Instagram, and generally no simple communication with the outside world. However, it will take 3 to 22 minutes to send information from Mars to Earth, and about 6 minutes to get a response. So there will be no problems in communicating with family and friends. In addition, experts believe that the mission's colonizers can access one or two selected websites that will be uploaded to the Martian server from Earth. But this is the maximum that can be done.
The colonialists will have to risk their lives
Since the Mars One mission is the first of its kind and experimental, so no one can really know what could go wrong. This means that mortal danger is very likely. Despite hundreds of experiments and studies that indicate the possibility of life on Mars, no one can guarantee this.
The body can react to resettlement to another planet in the most unexpected way
The human body is not biologically adapted to life in space. The microgravity effect can cause bone and muscle defects. Until now, a person has spent no more than 180 days on the ISS (that is, about six months). In this case, astronauts have to exercise at least 2-3 hours a day to keep themselves in shape.
In addition, the Martian day is shorter than the Earth's by 40 minutes, and it can be quite difficult to get used to new ideas about time. The difference may not seem so significant, but in reality it can be very significant.
… and the brain too
The idea of traveling to another planet and being among the first humans to settle on Mars sounds tempting. But, at the same time, you need to understand well that you are leaving your family, your friends and EVERYONE else on Earth forever. You will live 55 million kilometers away from them. Once you go to Mars, you will never be able to see Earth again. The earth will be just a point in the sky for you. Once you realize this, serious psychological problems can arise including depression, anxiety, mood swings, and more.
If after all this, flying to the red planet still seems like a good idea to you, then try your luck.
Lina Skok