A grand total of 202,586 people applied to spend the rest of their lives on the barren red planet.
Mars One plans to send a crew of settlers to colonize Mars in 2023. Aerospace suppliers worldwide have expressed interest in the project, and it looks as if it really could happen, a Mars One press release reported.
The Mars One Astronaut Selection Program stopped accepting applications on Sept. 9. The selection process hopes to be a media sensation, where the public decides who gets to move Mars in a sort of astronaut American Idol. Internet users can rate their favorite candidates now on the Mars One website.
There will be three more rounds of selection over the next couple of years.
The chosen few will endure seven years of training before spending the remainder of their lives living and working on the red planet.
About 24 percent of the applications (which were submitted from 140 different countries) were from the U.S. India came in second with about 10 percent of the applicants, and China had six percent.
Other top countries include (in order): Brazil, Great Britain, Canada, Russia, Mexico, the Philippines, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Australia, France, Turkey, Chile, the Ukraine, Peru, Germany, Italy, and Poland.
"Since its conceptualization, Mars One has evolved from a bold idea to an ambitious but feasible plan. Just about everyone we speak to is amazed by how realistic our plan is," co-founder Bas Lansdorp said in a statement.
"Human exploration of Mars will be the most exciting adventure mankind has embarked upon in decades. It will inspire a new generation of engineers, inventors, artists and scientists. It will create breakthroughs in recycling, life support and solar power systems. It will create a new generation of heroes - the first explorers to go to Mars will step straight into the history books. Finally, we expect it to capture an audience of millions, culminating in several billion online spectators when the first crew lands on Mars," he said.
The mission will be simplified as much as possible. Mars One said it is much safer and more realistic to keep humans alive on Mars than to try to bring them back.
The chosen few settlers will share their experiences with the world.
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