Six Canadians are among only 100 people from around the world who have made the short list for a one-way trip to Mars.
Mars One, the Netherlands-based organization looking to establish a human colony on the Red Planet, announced Monday that their candidate pool has been whittled down to 100, as the selection process moves onto Round 3.
The Candidates include four people from Ontario and two from British Columbia. A seventh Canuck, from the Yukon, also reached the third round, but has since dropped out.
initially received more than 200,000 applicants worldwide for the one-way mission to Mars. Of that, approximately 8,243 were from Canadians.
鈥淭he large cut in candidates is an important step towards finding out who has the right stuff to go to Mars,鈥� said Mars One co-founder and CEO Bas Lansdorp, in a statement Monday. 鈥淭hese aspiring martians provide the world with a glimpse into who the modern day explorers will be.鈥�
Vancouver scout leader and grandmother Susan Higashio Weinreich says she鈥檚 ready to leave Earth behind.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been my dream for my entire life to become an astronaut,鈥� the 42-year-old Mars One finalist told CTV Vancouver. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 believe that just a normal person like me would make it into the top 100.鈥�
Candidates who cleared the latest round were selected from a pool of 660 candidates after participating in 鈥減ersonal online interviews鈥� with the mission鈥檚 chief medical officer, Norbert Kraft.
During the interviews, candidates were given the chance to demonstrate their team spirit, understanding of the risks involved and 鈥渢heir motivation to be part of this life changing expedition.鈥�
The next round in the selection process will see the candidates organized into teams. They will be judged on their ability to work together.
Once the final 24 civilians are chosen, the $6-billion mission plan is to send a crew of four to depart Earth every two years, beginning in 2024. The project is being funded through private donors and sponsors.
The project is expected to launch with existing technology, but a group of engineers who researched the mission say it will require new technology to sustain human life once the civilians arrive on Mars.
Canadian candidates still in the running:
- Daniel Benjamin Criger, 28, Waterloo, Ont.
- Karen Louise Cumming, 53, Burlington, Ont.
- Reginald George Foulds, 60, Toronto
- Andreea Lavinia Radulescu, 33, Toronto
- Joanna Marjorie Hindle, 42 Whistler, B.C.
- Susan Higashio Weinreich, 42, Vancouver
With files from The Canadian Press
