5 Pinoys, one-way ticket to Mars

MANILA, Philippines – “The search for life on Mars begins on Earth,” proposes the latest Mars One promo, to which 5 Filipinos responded.

Mars One, a non-profit organization, is aimed at establishing the first human colony on Mars within a 10-year preparation period. The journey will be televised as a reality show that will follow the first humans as they start anew on the Red Planet.

READ: Reality show’s one-way astronauts for Mars

The project seeks 6 groups of 4 people each that will travel to Mars in batches every two years. The first crew will blast off in 2022 — a one way trip.

“From now on, we won’t just be visiting planets. We’ll be staying. You’ll be staying,” teases Mars One.

Watch the video here:

Pinoy Martians?

As of writing, 5 adventurous Filipinos, Bai, Ronald Ray, Maricia, Catherine Jane, and Danny, heeded to the first round of the application, where general information about them were gathered by virtue of a motivational letter, a resume, and a one minute video.

Their application videos reveal their motives for joining, how they describe their sense of humor, and why they consider themselves to be perfect for the project.

Bai, an International Studies Major from Ateneo de Davao referred to her childhood fascination with the planets as her main motivation. The 18-year-old also cited her open-minded outlook and adaptability as perfect characteristics for the venture.

18-year-old Ronald Ray, also from Ateneo de Davao, described himself as “a person who loves thrill and adventure.” The Political Science major sees going too Mars as “a dream and an honor to humankind,” adding that his adaptability helps him blend in with other people.

Maricia, a 22-year-old registered nurse, was enticed by the possibility of having a once in a lifetime adventure. She aims to prove that someone of “simple origins” is very much capable of great achievement. She described herself not as a perfect  candidate, but as a work in progress.

Catherine Jane wishes to make her mark in history. The 30-year-old pre-production engineer described herself as active, outgoing, and adventurous, but takes pride in her healthy physical condition, what she deems as the most important factor in the journey.

Danny described going to Mars as “the best adventure you could ever have in this lifetime.” In his application, he labeled himself as a very serious person with no sense of humor. Being that the project has never been done before, he believes no one can define the perfect candidate for the mission.

View another Mars One video here:

Applicants will be screened based on the “5 key characteristics of an astronaut” mainly resiliency, adaptability, curiosity, the ability to trust, and creativity or resourcefulness.

The application consists of 4 rounds designed to evaluate a person’s physical, psychological, mental, and over-all stability.

The application period is from April 22 to August 31 with a fee of US$8 for Philippine applicants. – Rappler.com