It is a one-way trip to colonize the Red Planet, and over 100,000 people have signed up for the mission. The Mars One project is going to pick 40 people from the thousands that applied, to spend the rest of their lives on Mars with no chance of coming back.

How bad can things be for those people? They are literally signing up to colonize a planet that is basically a giant ball of dirt. (As far as we know) there are no other living creatures over there, definitely no internet or televisions. I can’t understand anyone signing up, let alone 100,000 people!

The application process requires applicants to be 18 years or older, and the fee differs from $15-$40 depending on the GDP of the nation you’re applying from. Isn't it ironic how in some of these countries you are not allowed to drink before being 21 years old, but you can sign up to get shipped off to Mars. For ever. That sounds like a decision alcohol would have something to do with.

The mission will cost $6 billion for the first crew to take off; two men and two women, and they are set to leave in September 2022, arriving on Mars in April 2023. More people will follow two years later, and none of them will return to Earth.

How are they going to live there though? Apparently each “lander” sent to Mars will carry 2.5 tonnes of “useful load”, and the capsules will become part of the habitat. Solar panels will provide energy, and they plan to manufacture water and oxygen on Mars. The plan is to filter Martian water from the soil, evaporate it, and condense it back to its liquid state. Bas Landsorp, CEO and co-founder of the Mars One project said, "From the water we can make hydrogen and oxygen, and we will use the oxygen for a breathing atmosphere inside the habitat. This will be prepared by the rovers autonomously before the humans arrive."

I can see how travelling to a new planet sounds fun an exciting, but the idea of knowing you are never coming back home, and giving up all the luxuries we have here on Earth is too daunting for me to sign up. Would you be brave enough to do it?