Mars One plans unmanned mission for 2018 to start setting up colony on planet

Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Dutch company Mars One plans a reconnaissance mission for 2018, with the intention of setting up a human colony there by 2025.

The launch, which if successful will be the first privately funded mission of its kind, will test technology required to send a crew of astronauts on a one-way journey to the planet and possibly set up a colony on Mars.

Lockheed Martin is one of the first companies to come on board and will develop a lander similar to NASA's Phoenix probe, which landed on Mars in 2008.

Bas Lansdorp, CEO of Mars One said that this was "the first step in Mars One's overall plan of establishing a permanent human settlement on Mars."

The lander will be accompanied by a communication satellite developed by U.K. company Surrey Satellites. The satellite will orbit over Mars and transmit 24/7 video footage from the surface of the planet back to Earth. The lander will also carry out experiments to see whether water can be made on the surface of the planet and if thin solar films can harvest power from the sun.

Lansdorp believes the mission will cost no more than $6 billion but space law expert Michael Listner said it would likely cost around $1 trillion. Most of the funding is expected to come from Lasdorp, with the rest supplemented by corporate sponsorships and broadcast rights -- Mars One plans to turn the mission into a reality show following the lives of the astronauts through their mission. The company will also attempt to crowdfund part of its mission cost.

Mars One is also running a competition among schools and universities for space on the lander, inviting students to submit experiments ideas.

[Mars One] [The Guardian]