[dropcap]J[/dropcap]ohn Gray’s novel “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” may yet have to undergo another perception. Project “Mars One” is planning to establish a colony there in the next 10 years.
Mars One is a Dutch non-for-profit foundation. It is the mother company of Interplanetary Media Group, which enables the foundation to secure funds from its investors. It intends to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars in 2023 and has on August 31 completed registration of those interested to make it up there. So far, it has already received interest from more than 1,65,000 people (all adults) the world over including 8,107 Indians (men and women) hoping to be the first humans on Mars. The mission plan consists of cargo missions and unmanned preparation of a habitable settlement, followed by human landings.
After securing the first investments and commissioning the first conceptual design study in 2012, Mars One was ready to launch its Astronaut Selection Program. It was launched at press conferences in New York and Shanghai in April 2013. Bas Lansdorp, CEO and co-founder of Mars One said, “The cultural diversity of Mars One applicants reflects the international nature of this project and ultimately makes it humanity’s mission to Mars.”
Mars One believes that human settlement on the red planet was possible with existing technologies and it plans to integrate components that are well tested and readily available from industry leaders worldwide.
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest planet in the Solar System. Named after the Roman god of war, it is often described as the “Red Planet” because the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin atmosphere, having surface features reminiscent both of the impact craters of the Moon and the volcanoes, valleys, deserts, and polar ice caps of Earth.
The rotational period and seasonal cycles of Mars are likewise similar to those of Earth, as is the tilt that produces the seasons. Mars is the site of Olympus Mons, the second highest known mountain within the Solar System (the tallest on a planet), and of Valles Marineris, one of the largest canyons. Mars has two known moons, Phobos and Deimos.
The first successful Mars flyby in 1965 by Mariner 4, confirmed Mars once had large-scale water coverage on its surface. In 2005, radar data revealed the presence of large quantities of water ice at the poles, and at mid-latitudes. The Mars rover Spirit sampled chemical compounds containing water molecules in March 2007. The Phoenix lander directly sampled water ice in shallow Martian soil on July 31, 2008.
Mars is currently host to five functioning spacecraft: three in orbit – the Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter – and two on the surface – Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity and the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity. Defunct spacecraft on the surface include several other inert landers and rovers. Observations by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed possible flowing water during the warmest months on Mars.
Mars can easily be seen from Earth with the naked eye, as can its reddish coloring.
