Mars One

Mars One was a private space exploration project announced in 2012 by Dutch entrepreneur Bas Lansdorp, with the ambitious goal of establishing a permanent human settlement on Mars. The mission gained global attention for its bold vision of sending crews on a one-way journey to the Red Planet, combining scientific exploration with public engagement through media funding. However, despite its high aspirations, the project ultimately faced insurmountable technical, financial, and organisational challenges, leading to its bankruptcy in 2019.

Concept and Vision

Mars One was conceived as a civilian-led, non-governmental initiative aiming to achieve what no space agency had yet attempted—a self-sustaining colony on Mars. Unlike traditional space missions, which focus on exploration and return, Mars One proposed a one-way colonisation plan, in which astronauts would live and die on Mars.
The project’s vision encompassed several long-term objectives:

• Establishing a permanent human settlement on Mars.
• Using existing technologies rather than developing new ones from scratch.
• Financing the mission through global media rights, sponsorships, and reality television partnerships.
• Inspiring humanity to view space colonisation as a collective endeavour rather than a government-driven venture.

This combination of scientific ambition and media strategy made Mars One a unique and controversial proposal in the history of space exploration.

Organisational Structure

Mars One consisted of two main entities:

• Mars One Foundation (non-profit): Responsible for mission planning, astronaut selection, and maintaining the project’s long-term vision.
• Mars One Ventures (for-profit): Created to handle media, marketing, and commercial partnerships, including potential broadcasting deals.

The idea was that revenue generated by media coverage—similar to the model of global sporting events—would fund the expensive stages of interplanetary settlement.

Mission Plan and Timeline

Mars One announced a detailed roadmap with multiple stages leading up to human settlement:

1. Unmanned Demonstration Mission (2020): Intended to test key technologies such as life support, water extraction, and communication systems.
2. Communication Satellite and Rover Missions (2022–2024): Planned to deploy orbiters and rovers to locate suitable settlement sites and transport supplies.
3. First Human Crew (2026–2027): Four astronauts were to launch aboard a commercial rocket (such as SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy) on a one-way trip to Mars, where pre-delivered habitats and life-support systems awaited them.
4. Subsequent Crews (Every 26 months): Additional groups of settlers would arrive to expand the colony.

Each crew was to undergo rigorous training for survival, engineering maintenance, and psychological adaptation to isolation.
However, none of these stages progressed beyond the conceptual phase, as funding and partnerships failed to materialise.

Technology and Habitat Design

Mars One proposed using existing spacecraft and lander technologies developed by established aerospace companies. The habitat designs drew on NASA and ESA research for long-duration planetary missions.
Key components included:

• Habitat Modules: Inflatable living quarters with airlocks, sleeping areas, and hydroponic systems for growing food.
• Life Support Systems: Oxygen generation through water electrolysis and recycling of air and water within a closed loop.
• Rovers: Used for construction, transportation, and exploration of the Martian surface.
• Solar Power Systems: Arrays of photovoltaic panels supplying energy for the settlement.

While technically plausible on paper, experts noted that none of these systems had been validated for long-term autonomous operation on Mars.

Astronaut Selection Process

One of the most publicised aspects of Mars One was its global astronaut selection campaign. In 2013, the organisation opened online applications to anyone aged 18 or older, regardless of nationality or professional background. Over 200,000 applicants reportedly expressed interest, though later estimates suggested far fewer completed the formal application process.
Candidates underwent several stages of screening involving video submissions, interviews, and psychological evaluations. The selection process emphasised teamwork, resilience, and adaptability over technical qualifications.
By 2015, Mars One announced 100 finalists (50 men and 50 women) from diverse backgrounds. They were to undergo several years of training in remote environments simulating Martian conditions. However, this training never took place due to lack of resources.

Funding and Media Strategy

Mars One’s funding model was unconventional and controversial. The project intended to raise billions of dollars through:

• Television rights and documentaries showcasing the astronaut selection and training process.
• Sponsorships and advertising partnerships with global brands.
• Crowdfunding campaigns to attract public investment.

Lansdorp compared the potential audience interest to the Olympic Games or global reality television, suggesting that widespread media coverage could sustain the project financially.
However, the model drew criticism from the scientific community, which questioned the feasibility of financing interplanetary missions through entertainment revenue. Major broadcasters and investors showed little sustained interest, and funding targets fell drastically short.

Criticism and Scientific Concerns

From the outset, Mars One faced scrutiny from space experts, engineers, and former astronauts who doubted its technical and logistical realism. Key criticisms included:

• Unrealistic timeline: The proposed schedule was far too ambitious given the complexity of interplanetary travel.
• Inadequate funding: Estimated mission costs of USD 6–10 billion were never substantiated by verifiable investment.
• Lack of technical partnerships: No formal collaboration with established space agencies such as NASA or ESA.
• One-way mission ethics: The concept of sending humans to Mars with no possibility of return raised moral and psychological concerns.
• Life-support sustainability: Independent studies, such as one by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), indicated that the proposed habitat systems would fail within months due to oxygen imbalance and food production limitations.

These criticisms, coupled with financial mismanagement, gradually eroded the project’s credibility.

Decline and Bankruptcy

By 2018, Mars One had made little tangible progress beyond promotional activities. The company’s social media presence diminished, and promised updates became infrequent.
In January 2019, a Swiss court declared Mars One Ventures AG bankrupt, citing insolvency. Although Lansdorp briefly claimed efforts to revive the project through new investment, no further developments occurred. The Mars One Foundation ceased public operations, effectively marking the end of the initiative.