Want to travel to Mars? You’re in luck: An international Netherlands-based non-profit organization is currently recruiting astronauts to staff its 2023 Mars colony mission.
The company, Mars One, announced on Tuesday its astronaut selection criteria, of which mental resilience and a strong sense of purpose are considered important traits. Mars One’s goal is to establish the first human settlement on Mars in 2023.
In the first half of 2013, Mars One will begin its global search for the best candidates for the mission. Six teams of four will be chosen from the influx of candidates, and each of which will undergo 8 years of training needed to travel to and live on Mars.
In 2016, the first supply mission will be sent to Mars to stock the planet near where the colony outpost is expected to be; in 2018; the first robotic rover will be sent to Mars to scout an ideal location for the colony. By 2021, all of the components to construct the colony will have reached Mars. After the first team arrives in 2023, the second team will have arrived in 2025.
