A number of private firms have plans to send people to Mars. Mars has become the next destination for man in space, and there is much excitement about the planned missions. The missions though are not easy or cheap, as some firms are finding out. Mars One has delayed its projected manned mission to Mars, which shows how much resources are needed for the undertaking.
Mars One is said to be one of the first that would be going to Mars. It has planned to have people on Mars by 2026, much earlier even than NASA, which plans to have people there by at least 2030. However, 2026 for Mars One would not be the target anymore.
Mars One has pushed back its manned Mars mission to at least 2031. This is in line with a new financial strategy. This new financial strategy is linked to Mars One being sold to Swiss financial services company InFin Innovative Finance AG. Two entities have made up Mars One previously. One of them is Mars One Ventures and the non-profit Dutch company Mars One Foundation.
Mars One has opened its search for people who would like to go to Mars years earlier. 200,000 people responded to it, with the hopeful people now down to 100, according to Phys Org. Eventually 24 from the 100 remaining would be selected to go to Mars. The search for prospective people to go to Mars has been seen as the biggest reality show, though Mars One is careful to note that it is more than just a reality show.
Mars One will be sending the 24 in groups of four people. The challenge of the people going to Mars is survival, as they will have to somehow produce the needed food and water to survive there. The trip to Mars is a one-way trip with no hope of going back to Earth.
NASA has plans as well to send people to Mars. It will have additional unmanned missions to Mars together with the European Space Agency (ESA) by 2020, as The Gazette 24 reports. NASA hopes to have people on Mars by 2030. While that is yet to happen, Mars One has delayed its projected manned mission to Mars. Meanwhile, NASA has a space suit designed for the Mars simulated missions in Hawaii.
