Getting your mind around the plans of
Mars One is truly boggling it.., so to speak. It is bigger than anything achieved by humanity in terms of exploration.
The key reward for the Martian explorers is to follow in the footsteps of people like Roald Amundsen (Southpole, 1909), Edmund Hillary (Mount Everest, 1953) and Neil Armstrong (the Moon, 1969). But admittedly, the first human on Mars will dwarf these accomplishments altogether. And I think, by going there the way Mars One is proposing to go, it is even bolder. It is about going there, and staying there. Eat that Neil, Roald and Edmund!
But thinking about it, how would that be: getting used to living on Mars. Adapting to 1/3 of the Earth's
gravity. Walking around in a rusty red world, always in a closed spacesuit because of the lack of
oxygen in the Martian atmosphere. Never be able to feel the direct sunlight on your skin. Getting used to the dim light of the same
sun, as Mars is 1.5 times further away from the sun. Never be able to have a direct phonecall with your Earth fellows because of the vast distance between Mars and the Earth, and the limited speed of light at which telecommunication will always be delayed upto tens of minutes. It is mindboggling, yes. And Bas Lansdorp is getting his act together with his Mars One team to make it actually happen in 2023. You should really come to
TEDxDelft 2012 and listen to his story. Bas Lansdorp and TED also have a deeper connection. He performed at TEDxAmsterdam 2010 on his
windenergy company he worked on then. He is also in competition for for TED 2013. Watch his 'application' above and vote for him
here!
