Space

Mars One is closed. The organization behind the project on the colonization of Mars, went bankrupt

Remember the Mars One organization? The one that promised to send people to colonize Mars and make this a real reality television show? So, she is bankrupt, according to financial documents that were published online. They indicate that the company has been put under liquidation. It turns out that Mars One Ventures, the commercial branch of Mars One, declared itself bankrupt back in January, however it became known only now, thanks to one inquisitive user Reddit, who discovered relevant financial reports.

Recall that the co-founder founded in 2012Mars One is a Dutch entrepreneur Bas Landdorp, who until 2013 almost completely financed the project on his own. The idea of ​​creating the first permanent human colony on Mars originated while he was studying at Delft Technical University.

“This will be one of the biggest events inhuman history. We are talking about creating the largest media event, much more than landing on the moon or the Olympic Games. All the necessary technologies already exist or almost exist, ”said Landdorp at one time, attracting more and more new investors to his project.

This could be the residential and scientific modules of the Mars One colony

Technically, the organization was split into twoenterprises: the non-profit Mars One Foundation and the commercial Mars One Ventures AG, registered in Switzerland. According to the financial documents found on the network, the latter organization was declared bankrupt by the court of Basel (Switzerland) on January 15 and at that time was estimated at almost $ 100 million. Mars One Ventures PLC UK office is featured in documents as an inactive company with no commercial activity. Her accounts contain less than 20,000 British pounds.

Unfortunately, the documents say nothing about the non-profit venture Mars One Foundation, which financed itself through licensing fees from its commercial partners.

Journalists of the portal Engadget asked forcomments to Bass Lansdorp, to which he replied that the Mars One Foundation is still functioning, but will not be able to develop further without further investment in the project. He refused to give any other comments, adding only that he was working with his partners "on finding a solution to the current situation."

The coolest reality show in the history of television

Major financial support for developmentThe project Landsdorp hoped to get through the sale of rights to TV broadcast. It was assumed that Mars One will become the most expensive reality show in the history of television, which will allow viewers, comfortably seated on the couch, to follow the process of colonization of the Red Planet with interest. The company wanted to attract additional funds from space launches of scientific equipment of interested companies.

In 2018, Mars One was planning to launchdemo mission: sending a landing module to test solar cells, technology to extract water from Martian soil, as well as launch a communications satellite that will transmit images, video and other data from Mars surface 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Up until 2026, it was planned to send 2 residential blocks to the Red Planet, 2 blocks with life support systems, 2 cargo / storage blocks, as well as several satellites and other scientific equipment.

In parallel with this, the project plannedconduct four rounds on the selection of candidates for future colonists. The first "colonists" really selected. The company made a documentary about them and decided to raise additional funds for the project by selling material to television companies, at the same time fueling interest in the project from the public. As a training and preparation for the flight to Mars, the selected groups were planned to be placed for several months in closed conditions that simulate a long flight to the Red Planet, as well as further residence on it. The first group of colonists was to be landed in 2027, and then to increase their number annually until 2035 (a total of 20 people wanted to send).

One of the design options for the residential compartment of the project Mars One

It was assumed that the colonists will be able to live in quite comfortable conditions.

Jump above your head

Any recent news from the Mars organizationOne appeared in July 2018. Then it became known about the signing of a financial agreement with Phoenix Enterprises. The latter promised to allocate 12 million euros for the project during the year (about 14 million dollars for those times). This money was planned to be used to extend the licenses of the Mars One Foundation, to re-launch Mars One Ventures to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and also to fund the continuation of the selection of candidates for colonists.

It should be noted that overly ambitious plansMars One has already been recognized by outside experts as too unrealistic from the moment of the announcement, especially considering the estimated budget of reality shows and the cost of space launches. Specialists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at one time stated that the Landsdorp Plan is pure suicide for those who decide to do so. However, such a conclusion was really fair, considering that all the colonists had to agree to go to Mars without the possibility of returning back to Earth — that was one of the conditions. Lansdorp himself in 2015 in an interview with the same portal Engadget said that he would succeed.

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