"12 Belgians ready to emigrate to Mars"
The Dutch not-for-profit organisation Mars-One has plans to establish a first human colony on Mars by 2025. So far 200,000 candidates have come forward including 12 Belgians.
Mars-One now hopes to send the first four volunteers to the Red Planet in 2025 - two years later than initially planned - but it still remains unclear whether any Belgians will be among their number. The first mission is budgeted at 6 billion euros and may be the subject of a reality TV programme.
Mars-One has now closed the procedure under which candidates for Mars missions could register. It hopes to finalise its list of Mars travellers by the end of the year, when we should know how many Belgians could emigrate to Mars.
The flight to Mars is one-way. Participants are supposed to colonise the Red Planet. The journey alone is expected to take 7 months.