Mars One: Just Who is Stupid Enough to Live on Mars

Have you heard the one about Mars One, the company that wants to send four people on a $6 billion one-way mission to Mars? It sounds like a bad joke, it’s not, over 30,000 people have already applied for the Mars One Project and here’s why I’m not going to be one of them.

The Business Plan

Mars One will raise US $6 billion in ten years, because this is going to will be huge. That is actually the plan that was probably formulated on the back of a napkin at three in the morning on a Saturday night after a bottle of Vodka.

Now that you understand why Mars One cannot possibly fail we can have a look at some of the solid business plan that this mission is based on:

Huge global events make money

As the website states, the 2008 Olympics made a whopping US $5,450 million. That is a lot of money, though it’s worth noting the fact that none of the Olympic Games before 1984 actually made a profit and that current profits come only after billions of dollars are invested (the last World Cup, cost US $8.6 billion to host) and huge global events always make money. So it’s obvious that advertisers will be lining up to sponsor a one way mission to send four of the most intelligent and talented humans (more on that later) on the Mars One Project to set up a colony on the planet.

The Build Up

Everyone knows that the only sensible way to make important decisions about the future direction of mankind is by democratic vote or on a reality show. Luckily for us, the clever people at Mars One have decided to combine the two, so not only can you vote your favorite contestant to a distant planet from which they will never return and where nothing could go wrong, but you get to watch them participating in this international TV show for the next decade and then the rest of their lives so you will be able to develop a relationship with these ambassadors of Earth.

The Mission

History has shown us that setting up a colony, though a challenge are rarely is always successful. The most recent parallel to Mars One that we have in human history was the attempt by Europeans to establish colonies in the Americas. Between 1492 when Columbus discovered America and 1607 when Jamestown was established no six colonies failed. Missions to Mars have a similar 33% 100% success rate. Knowing this fact no large brand or corporation will want to miss out on the chance to watch the people and the mission they support crash and burn succeed.

Life on Mars

I love traveling and I’ve always wanted an out of this world adventure. If I have the money I will definitely be signing up to join the Virgin Galactic as it sails into space so that I can see the curvature of the Earth. Why return to Earth though to live an interesting and life when a one-way mission with Mars One will give you all of these experiences and more. Plus, I’m pretty confident that after three generations of in breeding one of your descendants will end up with three breasts like the woman off Total Recall.