Thousands of Would-be Astronauts Want One-Way Ticket to Mars: Bye-Bye Forever, Earth

Ever wanted to take a trip to Mars? Now, you can--as long as you don't mind the fact that it's a one-way ticket. Mars One, a Netherlands-based group, is accepting applications from would-be astronauts that want to make the historic trip. It turns out that quite a few wouldn't mind spending the rest of their lives on the Red Planet.

There has been a lot of hype surrounding Mars since NASA first placed the Mars rover Curiosity on the planet's surface. Because it's similar in size and shape to Earth, there has been a lot of speculation whether or not life can be found on the Red Planet.  So far, though, nothing has been discovered; according to astrobiologists, it's actually more likely that alien life could be found on the icy moons orbiting Saturn and Jupiter than on Mars.

Although there may not currently be life on the Red Planet, there soon will be. People are lining up for the journey. In just two weeks, more than 78,000 people from more than 120 countries have applied to take a trip to Mars. There aren't any limitations on who can apply; you just need to be 18 years or older. This may help explain the massive influx of applications.

"What we are looking for is not restricted to a particular background," said Norbert Kraft, the chief medical officer of Mars One, in a statement. "From Round 1 we will take forward the most committed, creative, resilient and motivated applicants."

The current plan is to find 28 to 40 applicants by 2015, according to the LA Times. These candidates will then be trained in groups for about seven years. If the project last that long, an audience will then vote on which group will get the opportunity to take a one way trip to Mars.

Yet in order to actually place people on the Red Planet, the group will have to overcome some serious technological hurdles. Although Mars One insists that all of the technology is already available, they would need to implement it and make it practical to use on the Red Planet. Even so, the organization does have a mission plan, which includes a transit vehicle, living units and mars suits.

Want to take a trip to Mars? Don't mind leaving Earth forever? It costs $38 to submit an application here. You'll answer questions about why you want to travel to the Red Planet, how you feel about never returning to Earth and what your sense of humor is like.