Mars One project culls worldwide candidates

List whittled down to 705, with 54 Canadians in running for one-way trip to red planet

MONTREAL— The number of Canadians in the running for a planned oneway trip to the red planet has been reduced to 54 as Mars One pared down its list of potential worldwide candidates on Monday.

The Dutch-based non-profit organization said 705 people remain in contention and will be subject to an interview by the Mars One selection committee.

The Mars One project, an ambitious plan to establish a permanent human settlement on the planet beginning in 2025, is the brainchild of Dutch entrepreneur Bas Landorp.

The $6-billion project calls for the use of existing technology and will be funded through sponsors and private investors.

The 54 Canadians remaining are divided equally between male and female candidates.

Christy Foley, a 33-year-old Alberta government employee, is among the candidates who’ll get an interview.

Foley said Monday she’s not having any second thoughts about the oneway trip and is still very excited.

The majority of the remaining 54 Canadian hopefuls are from the Toronto region, but there’s also a large contingent from British Columbia. Alberta and Quebec are next on the list, but other provinces also boast candidates.

After the interview round, candidates will be narrowed down to several international teams consisting of two women and two men, who will take part in an extensive training program. The current plan is for a crew of four to depart every two years starting in 2024, with the first groups arriving in 2025.