Last January Marina Miral was notified that she was a candidate for a space mission to Mars. Over 200,000 candidates were screened for the mission from which they would never return.
Mars One is a private enterprise set up to establish a permanent colony on the red planet. Those who go will never return to their earthly home but spend the rest of their lives on the planet. The project needs an estimated $6 billion in funds.
On May 6, it was announced that Miral was among the 54 Canadians who made the next round. There are 705 astronaut candidates from a list of 1,058 potential colonists. The remaining candidates advance to an interview round. There are 287 women and 418 men selected from the latest cut. Mars One plans to launch its first crew of four Mars colonists in 2024, with additional crews joining them in two-year increments.
Miral is 31 years old and will be over 40 before she ever lands on Mars. If all goes according to plan, Miral will spend the next 10 years training for life in the space colony. Training begins in 2015.
Miral’s mother Angela Dorsey said she is still very intent on going.