Turns Out, People Aren't So Eager to Go to Mars

Mars One, the heavily-hyped private expedition to Mars planned for 2023, hasn't quite found as many people willing to leave Earth forever as it had hoped. The project had expected 1 million people to jump at the chance to colonize the red planet; instead, just 165,000 applied, Space.com reports. That could be a problem, given that the nonprofit Mars One Foundation was planning on using the $38 application fees to help fund the project. Nevertheless, the company is forging ahead, and expects to cover the funding shortfall with a reality TV series following the astronaut selection and mission planning, Fox News reports.

If you want to be one of the very first Martians, you have until the end of the month to apply—and you could be just who the project looking for. "It's easily assumed that Mars One is only looking for pilots and engineers," says Mars One's chief medical officer. "Don't disqualify yourself too easily. If you wish to be a Mars pioneer despite of the risks and challenges that come with this job, you are already more qualified than most people on this planet." (More Mars stories.)