MEXICO: Astrophysicist at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) Joseph Roche is concerned the project will “fall flat on its face” before its 2024 launch, due to a lack of funding.
Dr Roche, who is among the final 100 candidates for the Mars One project, claimed the Dutch non-profit project has solicited donations from finalists and also criticised the screening process.
“I have not met anyone from Mars One in person,” he said on the selection process.
Dr Roche said candidates were listed on a leader board on the project’s website, according to the number of points they have accrued.
“You get points for getting through each round of the selection process . . . and then the only way to get more points is to buy merchandise from Mars One or to donate money to them,” Mr Roche said.
He said those at the top were the most likely to gain media attention, adding that Mars One recommended that 75pc of any money earned from interviews be donated to the cause.
A Mars One spokesperson said the leader board was “based on what the supporter can earn”, but claimed “this number of points is unrelated to our selection process” according to an article website Medium.com.
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