The application process...

So what does one have to do in order to apply to become a one-way astronaut to Mars?

As I said in my previous blog, you have to satisfy the following criteria:

1. Be at least 18 years of age.
2. Be physically and mentally fit.
3. Speak at least one of the application languages, which are the 11 most used languages on the internet: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Russian, Arabic, Indonesian, Chinese Mandarin, Japanese and Korean.

There are no official education requirements, though I personally think that people who already have formal education, training or experience in the fields of science, engineering or medicine will naturally have an edge over others.

And what does the application process consist of?

There are several rounds.

Round 1 (the application):

First you have to register and pay the application fee (which depends on the relative wealth of the country you are from: according to the Mars One article on Wikipedia, it can be anything from US $ 5 to US $ 75). Once this is done, you have to edit your application that consists of the following:

• Three "public" parts:
• Profile information (general information and your "self-introduction" and "interests" that will be displayed publicly).
• Application video (between 30 and 70 seconds long, in which you answer 3 questions: "Why do you want to go to Mars?", "How would you describe your sense of humor?" and "What makes you the perfect candidate for this mission to Mars?")
• Profile image.
• Three "private" parts:
• Personal information (including your address, education, employment and achievements).
• Questionnaire (5 questions).
• Motivation letter.

Application deadline: 31st August 2013.

Till now, only this much has happened. The following information about subsequent rounds is from the Wikipedia article of Mars One:

Round 2 (interview):

The second round interview will consist of:

• A candidate's medical statement of good health from a physician will be needed.
• After conducting an interview with the candidates with one of the 300 regional selection committees, the committees determines will decide which applicants will pass to round three.

Round 3 (national selection)

This will be a national selection round, broadcast on TV and internet. In each country, 20-40 applicants will be selected by the audience one winner per country to continue to round four.

Round 4 (international selection)

This round will be an international event that will be broadcast throughout the world. The Mars One selection committee will create international groups from the individual candidates. The groups will receive their first short term training in a copy of the Mars outpost. Whole teams and individuals might be selected out during training when they prove not to be suitable for the mission.

In 2022, several months before departure, the Mars One selection committee will determine which groups in training are ready to depart to Mars. Six groups of four will become full time employees of the Mars One astronaut corps. Each of these groups will have obtained the qualifications and skills necessary for the trip to Mars, so in that respect it should not matter who goes first. However, the symbolic and historic significance of this issue is a different matter altogether. This will be a democratic decision. "The people of Earth will have a vote which group of four will be the first Earth ambassadors on Mars".