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The Rise and Fall of Mars One · Elon Musk Podcast

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Hi everybody and welcome back to another episode of Space News
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Pod. Today will journey through the
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captivating saga of Mars 1, the ambitious venture that aimed to
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make humans and interplanetary species by establishing a
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permanent settlement on Mars. In the glow of this plan, the
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Dutch Notforprofit foundation launched by Boz Landsdorp and
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Arna Wielders shone brightly. When it first took to the world
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stage in 2011, their vision was nothing short of bold.
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A Oneway mission to Mars, sidestepping the complexities of
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a return voyage focusing on establishing A sustainable human
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colony on our neighboring planet.
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However, the path to Mars was strewn with obstacles.
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From an overwhelming financial goal of $6 billion to
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technological challenges and ethically charged decisions.
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Mars One face significant headwinds and despite their
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groundbreaking approach to space exploration, their mission, much
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like a Martian dust storm, eventually settled.
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In 2019, Mars One declared bankruptcy, leaving the dream of
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a permanent human settlement on Mars unfulfilled.
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But every story, every venture, every dream, regardless of its
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outcome, leaves behind a legacy. So today we dive into the rise
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and fall of Mars One, exploring the lessons learned and
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discussing how these experiences might influence the future.
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Of our multiplanetary aspirations, we'll hear from our
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sponsors. Then we'll get right into the
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story. It's a pretty juicy one, so I
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think you're going to enjoy it. Mars One was cofounded by two
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Dutch entrepreneurs, Boss Land Store and Arna Wielders, both
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bringing unique experiences and skills to this venture.
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Boss is an entrepreneur with a background in mechanical
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engineering. And before Mars One, he
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cofounded Ampics Power, a company specializing in the
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development of wind energy technology.
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Landsdorp left Ampics Power to start Mars One when he realized
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the potential and feasibility of a one way mission to Mars.
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As a CEO and cofounder of Mars One, Landsdorp became the face
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of the project, frequently speaking at conferences and in
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media interviews about the mission.
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Our nose wielder is a physicist and engineer with experience in
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space systems. And before cofounding Mars One,
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Wielders worked for various space organizations.
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He worked at the European Space Research and Technology Center,
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part of the European Space Agency, or ESA, or ESA, and was
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involved in several ESA projects.
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He also cofounded Space Horizon, a company dedicated to space
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tourism. As the chief technical officer
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of Mars One, Wielders was responsible for the overall
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technical design and implementation of the Mars 1
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mission. And despite their passion and
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commitment to Mars One project, they have some hurdles to
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overcome. The venture was criticized and
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overly optimistic timelines, technology assumptions, and lack
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of adequate funding. Mars One was an ambitious
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project that sought to establish a permanent human settlement on
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Mars, a bold and audacious goal that pushed the boundaries of
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human possibility. And at the heart of the
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initiative was a vision to go where no human has gone before.
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To tread new ground in space exploration and to define what
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humanity could achieve in terms of interplanetary colonization.
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We'll explore the origins, the successes and challenges, and
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the legacy of Mars One will provide insights into the
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intricate nature of the space exploration venture.
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Mars One was a Dutch notforprofit foundation
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established in 2011 by Boslandsdorp and Arno Wielders.
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The company sought to revolutionize space exploration
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by pursuing A1 Way mission to Mars.
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They plan to select, train and send 4 astronauts on their
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pioneering journey every two years starting in the twenty 20s
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and the missions cost was estimated to be $6 billion.
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The founders aimed to source this funding from sponsors and
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media rights sales. Now, the underlying belief of
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the Mars 1 mission was that humanity needed to become a
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multiplanetary species like Elon, Musk says, both for our
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survival and to satisfy our innate curiosity and desire to
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explore. Mars, due to its proximity and
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its similarity to Earth in terms of day length and surface area,
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was chosen as the ideal destination for this ambitious
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undertaking. Mars One had a unique approach
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to this endeavor, though. They sought to simplify the
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mission by making it a one way trip, eliminating the need for
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complex return journey technology.
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By using existing technology and adopting an incremental
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approach, Mars 1 aimed to gradually build up the necessary
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infrastructure of Mars for long term human habitation.
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The project strategy consisted of sending initial unmanned
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missions, deploying living units, life support units and
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supply units to Mars. These units would then be set up
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by robots to create a habitable settlement before the arrival of
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the first crew. The crew would be
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self-sufficient, relying on in situ resource utilization or I
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SRU, particularly extracting water from Martian soil and
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producing oxygen for breathing. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
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That's exactly what Elon Musk wants to do with SpaceX and
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Starship. Now Mars One adopted an open
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call for volunteers. Willing to embark on a one way
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mission to Mars? You would leave Earth.
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You would fly to Mars. You would spend the rest of your
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days on Mars. You would never see anybody from
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Earth again. This unprecedented selection
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process attracted applicants from diverse backgrounds from
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around the world. After rigorous selection
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process, Mars One aim to train these individuals extensively in
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the simulated Martian environment right here on Earth.
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They prepare them for the harsh conditions and isolation.
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They would experience on Mars now.
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Despite its innovative approach and vision, Mars want to face
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significant challenges and criticisms.
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The foremost concern was the mission's feasibility given the
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technological, financial and logistical hurdles.
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Critics questioned whether the mission could be accomplished
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with the proposed budget and the reliance on unproven
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technologies like insitu resource utilization, making
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water out of Martian soil. Moreover, the ethical
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implications of sending humans on a one way mission raised
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concerns considering the psychological impact of
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permanent isolation at the potential of death on the Red
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Planet. The open call selection process
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and the proposal to televise the mission also face criticism for
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potentially exploiting the participants of reducing a
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complex science venture to just a reality show now despite these
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challenges and criticisms though.
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Mars One sparked a global conversation about space
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exploration and interplanetary colonization.
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It inspired individuals worldwide to dream about the
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possibilities of space travel and prompted serious discussions
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about the feasibility and ethics of colonizing other planets.
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When Mars One opened the application process for
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astronaut selection in April of 2013, they received a
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significant number of applications from aspiring Mars
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settlers around the globe by the end of the application process
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in August of 2013. Mars One reported having
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received over 200,000 applications, although this
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number was highly disputed and some sources suggest the actual
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number was quite lower. The application process was part
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of Mars One's fundraising strategy.
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Applicants were charged an application fee which varied by
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country, and the fee was intended to be inversely
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proportional to the gross domestic product of the
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applicants country, ranging from $5 to $75.
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The total amount of money raised from the application process
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isn't quite clear. Even if one took the lowest
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application fee of $5, if 200,000 applicants were indeed
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received, this would amount to at least $1,000,000 USD.
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However, due to the uncertainty about the actual number of
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applications and the variable application fee, it's difficult
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to provide a precise figure for the total funds raised through
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this process. These applications came from a
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wide variety of backgrounds and places, showcasing the global
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interest in space exploration in the appeal of the Mars 1 mission
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Now Sue and PN. An American applicant, Sue was
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one of the 100 finalists. She works as a software engineer
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and had a keen interest in space exploration.
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PN's motivation to apply for Mars One came from her dream to
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explore the unknown and to contribute to humanity's
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understanding of the universe. Ryan McDonald, The British
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physicist. McDonald was also among the 100
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finalists. He was studying physics at the
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University of Oxford at the time of his application and was
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fascinated by the prospect of contributing to human knowledge
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about Mars. He saw Mars One as an
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opportunity to be a part of the groundbreaking mission that can
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change how we understand our place in the universe.
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Diana Masani Patel, British pharmacist and scuba diving
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instructor, was another of the 100 finalists.
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She was motivated by a sense of adventure.
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And the desire to inspire the next generation of explorers.
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Now it's important to know that while these applicants were
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willing to leave their lives on Earth for a one way ticket to
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Mars, the Mars 1 mission faced significant criticism and
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skepticism over its feasibility, the ethics and lack of a clear
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plan for the safety and wellbeing of the crew.
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A glaring obstacle to Mars One's plans was the substantial
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financial requirements. The missions cost was estimated
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at a whopping $6 billion. And Mars won in to raise these
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funds through a mix of sponsorship, media rights,
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crowdfunding and private investments.
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However, is the mission progressed, it became evident
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that the organization was struggling to generate the
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necessary capital. The idea to fund a significant
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part of the mission through the sale of media rights, turning
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the astronaut selection process and subsequent life on Mars into
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a reality show, received a mixed reactions.
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But critics argued it trivialized the serious nature
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of space exploration and carried ethical implications.
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Meanwhile, potential sponsors and investors were hesitant.
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Aware of the high risks associated with the mission.
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The Mars 1 mission proposed to use rockets and spacecraft
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available commercially from established aerospace companies.
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This meant they didn't have to develop and build their own.
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Which would have been an immensely complex and expensive
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undertaking. In their initial plan, they
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proposed using the Falcon Heavy rocket manufactured by SpaceX to
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launch their payloads to Mars. Falcon Heavy is one of the most
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powerful operation rockets are in the world, capable of lifting
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significant payloads to Mars. For the actual spacecraft, they
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proposed using a modified version of Spacex's Dragon
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capsule. The Dragon capsule had already
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been used successfully to ferry cargo at this point.
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To and from the International Space Station, but there's been
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no cruise to the International Space Station when Mars One was
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in play. Now, it's important to note that
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while Mars One stated their intention to use these vehicles
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at the time of the missions cancellations, no contracts had
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been signed with NASA or SpaceX or any other aerospace
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companies. And for the missions, Lander and
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Rover Mars One partnered with Lockheed Martin, which had
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extensive experience in building and operating spacecraft.
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Or NASA's Mars missions. What are the more ambitious
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elements of the Mars One plant was a use of life support system
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to manufacture fuel on Mars for the use of vehicles and
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machinery which would have required an advanced level of in
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situ resource utilization technology.
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At the time of the missions proposal, such a system was
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still in the development phases and not yet proven.
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Now Mars 1 proposed to use existing technology in vehicles
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wherever possible. It also relied on several
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unproven technologies. Systems at the time, and its
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inability to fully address these technological challenges was a
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significant factor in the missions ultimate failure.
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Mars One hinged on the belief that it could only use existing
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technology to create a livable outpost on Mars.
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However, this overlooked the significant technological
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advances still required for such a mission, the dependency on as
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yet unproven technologies for longterm life support and
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radiation protection. Was a major concern.
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The timeline proposed by Mars One was also criticized as
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overly optimistic. The plan involves sending
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multiple uncrewed missions to set up a habitable environment
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and life support systems, all before humans sent foot on Mars.
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Now, this timeline, given the complexity of the tasks, seemed
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very farfetched, and sending humans on a oneway journey to
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Mars raised significant psychological and ethical
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issues. Mars One applicants were
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volunteering not just for an exploration mission, but for a
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lifetime on an alien planet. The potential psychological
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stress and the ethical implications of sending
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individuals on a journey with such high risks and no return
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raise serious concerns about the mission's moral standing.
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Human spaceflight to Mars presents unique psychological
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challenges. An interplanetary journey to
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Mars, as proposed by Mars One, would entail an isolation and
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confinement period of up to nine months during the voyage,
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followed by a potentially permanent state on an alien
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planet millions of miles away from Earth.
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These conditions can give rise to a host of psychological
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issues, including but not limit to loneliness, depression,
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anxiety, and interpersonal conflicts.
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The isolation from friends, family, and familiar
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surroundings can intensify feelings of loneliness.
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And can lead to depression, the confinement of the spacecraft
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with limited room to move and lack of privacy and create
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tension and conflict among the crew.
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Prolonged periods of monotony, broken only by high stress
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situations, can cause cognitive and behavioral issues.
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Furthermore, communication delays with Earth ranging up to
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24 minutes round trip, can create feelings of isolation and
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frustration and can challenge the crew's problem solving
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abilities. Because immediate support or
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advice won't be available to them in a pod arrival on Mars,
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the astronauts will be faced with a bearing and harsh
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environment drastically different from Earth.
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This alien landscape, combined with the realization of a
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permanent stay, may further exacerbate feelings of
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isolation, homesickness and stress.
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Astronauts on a mission to Mars will require a unique blend of
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skills to cope with these challenges though, including
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technical and scientific expertise, excellent problem
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solving skills. And robust psychological
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resilience, the selection, the training and support of these
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pioneers would be paramount to the success of the mission and
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the wellbeing of the crew. This all culminates in the
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bankruptcy in the end of Mars 1. Mars One went bankrupt in 2019
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and it was because Boss Lansrup did a debate against MIT
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researchers. So.
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US, The cofounder of Mars One and MIT Massachusetts Institute
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of Technology researchers had an event.
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There was a debate. It revolved around a critical
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study by MIT graduate students which analyzed the feasibility
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of the Mars 1 mission plan. They use publicly available
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information about Mars One and the life support requirements of
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a crude mission to Mars. They found out that with the
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current technology, sustaining life on Mars would be
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challenging due to issues. Like the overproduction of
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oxygen from plants in the habitat and the need for a
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significant number of spare parts for the life support
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system in every spots to the study, Boz Landsdorp claimed
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that Mars One had solutions to these issues and the criticism
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was based on assumptions that did not apply to the missions
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plans. Landsdorp did not, however,
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provide detailed explanations of counter arguments to all the
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points raised by the MIT team. And Landsdorp invited the
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researchers for a public debate to discuss these findings.
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The debate took place at the 2015 Mars Society Convention,
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where the MIT team and Landsdorp presented their points of view.
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The debate further highlighted the questions and challenges
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around the Mars 1 mission, and the criticism from the MIT team
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was a part of broader skepticism that the Mars 1 mission faced
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with various scientists, engineers, and space
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enthusiasts. The mission was seen as
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underestimating the complexity. And cost of a human Mars
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mission. These criticisms and challenges,
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along with financial difficulties, eventually led to
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the demise of the Mars One endeavor.