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Mars One Is Deeply Flawed

·160 words·1 min
Articles space tech future
Daniel Andrlik
Author
Daniel Andrlik
Daniel Andrlik lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia. By day he manages product teams. The rest of the time he is a podcast host and producer, writer of speculative fiction, a rabid reader, and a programmer.

Elmo Keep’s interview with Mars One applicant Joseph Roche reveals that the program is deeply flawed. Indeed, some elements such as having applicants donate their speaking fees to the program in exchange for points even sounds like a scam.

So, here are the facts as we understand them: Mars One has almost no money. Mars One has no contracts with private aerospace suppliers who are building technology for future deep-space missions. Mars One has no TV production partner. Mars One has no publicly known investment partnerships with major brands. Mars One has no plans for a training facility where its candidates would prepare themselves. Mars One’s candidates have been vetted by a single person, in a 10-minute Skype interview.

— Elmo Keep, Mars One Finalist Explains Exactly How It‘s Ripping Off Supporters

While I’ve always been skeptical of Mars One in particular, I’m a huge proponent of space initiatives in general. This profile was disappointing to read on many levels.

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