1000 vie for one-way Mars reality TV mission

More than 1000 finalists from over 200,000 applicants have been selected as finalists for a one-way Mars reality TV mission.

The Mars One project, set up in 2011 by two Dutch men with the goal of establishing permanent life on the Red Planet in 2025, is another step closer to finding its team to send.

Its thousands of applicants have been dwindled down to 1058 candidates to make it into round two, Reuters reported.

Those final 1058 will now be tested to come up with a final list of 24 would-be Mars dwellers.

The men behind the Mars One mission hope the project will be funded by investors and the rights from a documentary-cum-reality TV broadcasting of the tests, training and final selection.

The finalists come from all around the world, predominantly from America (297), Canada (75) and India (62).

They face rigorous tests, including simulations of life on Mars and coping with isolation.

"The challenge with 200,000 applicants is separating those who we feel are physically and mentally adept to become human ambassadors on Mars from those who are obviously taking the mission much less seriously," said Mars One co-founder Bas Lansdorp.

Source: Reuters.