Amateur astronauts hoping to make history by leaving Earth to live on Mars have been shortlisted for the one-way trip of a lifetime.
The final 100 candidates from the Mars One project have been whittled down from more than 200,000 applicants following an exhaustive selection process, which began in April 2013.
“The large cut in candidates is an important step towards finding out who has the right stuff to go to Mars,” said Dutch billionaire Bas Lansdorp, co-founder & CEO of Mars One.
“These aspiring Martians provide the world with a glimpse into who the modern day explorers will be.”
The 50 men and 50 women were selected for round three of the process after coming through an online interview with the project’s chief medical officer.
Mars One wants to put humans on the Red Planet by 2024 Photo: Mars One
Those who made it through the interview stage showed they understood the risks involved and demonstrated a strong willingness to work in a team.
The final 100 chosen come from around the world, with 39 from the Americas, 31 from Europe, 16 from Asia, 7 from Africa, and 7 from Oceania.
Ambitious: Mars One
A total of 40 candidates will eventually be chosen to take part in a training programme and live in a copy of the Mars outpost on Earth.
Mars One wants to put a permanent human settlement on Mars, with the first crew of four to reach the Red Planet by 2024 and the mission set to be turned into a reality TV show.
Over the next few years, communication satellites, two rovers and several cargo missions will be sent to Mars.
However, sceptics have cast serious doubt over whether the Mars mission will ever be achieved.
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Shout here! Throw the pipettes, brake a Berzelius glass so we can hear you from the lab!