An unusual aspect of the Mars One project is the choice of astronauts. The project invited applications from anyone in the world, and reputedly received some 200,000 applications, although some sources put the actual figure at only around 87,000. So far there has been one round of selection which reduced the numbers to 1058. In May 2014 it was reported that the number had fallen to 705, due (it is understood) to some applicants failing a medical assessment; currently the figure seems to stand at 663. The next round of selection is due to take place this month, December 2014, with the target of selecting 28-40 people to go into full time training for mission over the next seven years.
The applications from 902 of the Round 2 candidates are available on the Mars One website. It’s unclear which of these are the remaining 663 candidates. Most entries have a video attached to them and these can make interesting viewing, but for all the wrong reasons. The overwhelming impression is that few of the prospective candidates seem in any way suitable for the proposed mission. Although there are some with a technical or scientific background, the majority appear to have no relevant experience whatsoever. It’s not clear, for example, why a beautician might be a good prospect as an astronaut, or someone whose main interest is drama. Other candidates include a comedienne, a PR manager and a law enforcement officer. Some of the candidates appear have little or no direction in their lives, and may view the mission as a way out. A proportion of the candidates are heavily into adventurous sport – many of these seem to view the mission as an opportunity for another ‘adventure’. What must the rejected candidates have been like?
What appears to lacking from virtually all the applicants is any recognition of the risk they might be taking. One is left wondering if any except a handful have any appreciation of what they have applied for.
There is also the question of age. Some of the candidates are over 60 – they will be over 70 if selected for the first mission. There are many fit and able older people, but with increasing age comes an inevitable increase in the risk of age related degenerative diseases such as dementia, Parkinson’s and arthritis. Whilst any given individual may remain healthy, for most of these problems there is no means of forecasting who will fall prey to what, and the risks increase steeply with increasing age. The mission could probably not afford to have a non-productive member. This isn’t ageist, just pragmatic. At the other end of the age scale there those in the early 20’s, and a few as young as 18. It is a moot question as to whether someone that young is mature enough to commit themselves to this process.
It seems quite possible that some of the candidates are only in the process for their 15 minutes of fame or as a means of self-promotion.
That so many of the remaining applications would appear to be unsuitable suggests that some might have been left in the process to boost the numbers. The process may have been a good way to raise money (each application cost up to US$75) but is it a good way to find someone suitable to be an astronaut?
What should the selection criteria be? The simple things might be present age 35-40, average or lower than average body mass, not too tall, not too short, healthy, with good eyesight and a background in science or engineering. A crew who were a close physical match would be capable of sharing a range of personal equipment, particularly perhaps the spacesuits required for excursions outside the habitat.
Selecting on the basis of physical attributes is straightforward - assessing the psychological suitability is another matter.
Some of the candidates could well be suitable as astronauts, in the same way that science or engineering specialists have been to the International Space Station (ISS). Of the rest, you would have to ask yourself whether it would really be a good idea to have to rely on them in a hostile and unforgiving environment, under almost unimaginable physical and mental stress, where your life depended on the safe and reliable operation of complex engineering systems, and to spend the rest of your life with them (and the few who might follow, another 4 every 2 years). Simply thinking that it might be exciting is not enough of a reason, this would be for life.
M102-0114
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