Agence France Presse reports (via ABS-CBNNews.com) that more than 200,000 people from 140 countries have applied to go on a one-way trip to Mars to try inhabiting it.
According to the report, the applicants were drawn by a call made by the non-profit group Mars One in April for "would-be Mars settlers." The entire idea was conceptualized by Dutch engineer and entrepreneur Bas Lansdorp, who plans to build a permanent base on Mars starting 2022 "if he can find the necessary $6 billion."
The chosen individuals will go on a trip to Mars by 2023 and try living in a planet "with minus 55 degrees C (minus 67 F) temperatures in a desert-like atmosphere that consists mainly of carbon dioxide." They will also "have to consent to being observed back on Earth full-time as stars of a reality TV show that would help cover expenses," the article said.
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