New Delhi: Three Indians have been shortlisted to be the first human beings to head to Mars— 29-year-old Ritika Singh from Delhi, 19-year-old Shradha Prasad from Kerala and 29-year-old Taranjeet Singh Bhatia from Orlando.
As a part of a one-way mission to establish a colony on the Red Planet, 100 people have been shortlisted from over the world.
The project, run by a Netherlands-based not-for-profit foundation Mars One, plans to select 24 people, train them on surviving the harsh conditions of outer space, send them to Mars in groups of four — but not bring them back.
“I applied because I have been adventurous since childhood and like to take on challenges. What can be a better challenge than this? We all take a two-way ticket. To get a one way ticket to Mars will be a lifetime experience,” said Singh, who currently works in Dubai.
“Space science has been my passion and I love taking risks,” said Prasad, adding that she wouldn’t let anything mar her dream to go to Mars.
The second round of the application process last year had shortlisted 44 Indians, of whom 27 were men and 17 were women.
The third round has selected 100 candidates from a pool of 660 after they participated in personal online interviews with Norbert Kraft, Chief Medical Officer.
During the interviews the candidates had a chance to show their understanding of the risks involved, team spirit and their motivation to be part of the life changing expedition.
“We were impressed with how many strong candidates participated in the interview round, which made it a very difficult selection,” said Kraft.
The next selection rounds will focus on composing teams that can endure all the hardships of a permanent settlement on Mars.
The candidates will receive their first shot at training in the copy of the Mars Outpost on Earth and will demonstrate their suitability to perform well in a team.