Space & Astronomy

Mars One mission receives first funding

By T.K. Randall
September 1, 2012 ·  20 comments

Image Credit: NASA Mars One is a Dutch company with plans to not only send a manned mission to Mars but to also found a colony there as part of an ongoing reality TV series. "Receipt of initial sponsorship marks the next step to humans setting foot on Mars," said founder Bas Lansdorp. "A little more than a year ago we embarked down this path, calling upon industry experts to share in our bold dream. Today, we have moved from a technical plan into the first stage of funding, giving our dream a foundation in reality."

Unsurprisingly Mars One has been met with a great deal of skepticism; it seems unlikely that even a space agency like NASA will be able to manage a manned Mars mission within the next eleven years, let alone a private company with no manned spaceflight experience.[!gad]Mars One is a Dutch company with plans to not only send a manned mission to Mars but to also found a colony there as part of an ongoing reality TV series. "Receipt of initial sponsorship marks the next step to humans setting foot on Mars," said founder Bas Lansdorp. "A little more than a year ago we embarked down this path, calling upon industry experts to share in our bold dream. Today, we have moved from a technical plan into the first stage of funding, giving our dream a foundation in reality."

Unsurprisingly Mars One has been met with a great deal of skepticism; it seems unlikely that even a space agency like NASA will be able to manage a manned Mars mission within the next eleven years, let alone a private company with no manned spaceflight experience.

Source: Space.com | Comments (20)

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