Anybody up for winning a trip to Mars? Dutch company, Mars One began looking for volunteer astronauts to fly to Mars on Monday. The departure date is set for the year 2022, with landing set to be in 2023. The bad news is that you won’t be returning home. According to representatives of the nonprofit organisation, the volunteers are set to live out their lives on the red planet. It is a one way ticket.

CEO Bas Lansdorp said:

It’s likely that there will be a crematorium. It’s up to the people on Mars to decide what to do with their dead.

But depsite it being a one way ticket, the company has received over 10,000 emails from would-be astronauts. And if you’re wondering why the flight is a one way ticket, the explanation is simple. The technology to get humans back from Mars simply doesn’t exist.

Before this can go ahead, there are a few kinks that need to be ironed out. Grant Anderson of Paragon Space Development Corporation said:

Questions of reliability and robustness have to be answered before we leave Earth.

For those of you who are interested in applying, applications come with a $38 (R351) fee and  are open to anybody older than 18. Applicants need to apply via video here.

Initially, four lucky applicants will be sent up, with two more joining them yearly. Eventually, Mars One hopes to found a healthy little colony on Mars.

Mars One plans to finance the operation by selling the reality TV rights of the journey.

Not unlike the televised events of the Olympic Games, Mars One intends to maintain an ongoing, global media event, from astronaut selection to training, from liftoff to landing.

Spokesman for Mars One credits the company for merging media and technology. He said:

They very aggressively seem to be pursuing the reality-TV angle.

Watch Mars One’s introduction video form their website.

[Source: CNN News, Mashable]