A Dutch company says it is moving along with its plan to send four
lucky Earthlings to colonize the Red Planet. The catch: They won't ever come
back.
The Mars One foundation announced
Tuesday that it has secured lead suppliers for an unmanned mission launching in
2018, which involves a robotic lander and a communications satellite. Lockheed
Martin has been contracted to study building the lander, and Surrey Satellite
Technology Ltd. will develop a concept study for the satellite, Mars One said.
This first mission will
demonstrate technology that would be involved in a permanent human settlement
on Mars. If all goes well -- and that's still very much an "if" --
the first pioneers could land on Mars in 2025.
Enthusiasm has been growing since
the project's first big announcement in April. More than 200,000
people have signed up to be prospective astronauts, Mars One CEO Bas Lansdorp
said in Washington on Tuesday.
who else is interested?
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