Wednesday 29 June 2011

Mars or bust

Great news. You're still in time to apply for a spot in a you-pay-to-get-there test run in a desert habitat in Colorado - to practise for... being part of a future team to land on the planet Mars. I knew you'd be pleased!

This is fair dinkum. Applicants can apply individually or in groups up to an entire team of six. It helps if you are already a geologist (Mars style) or engineer or space-related -ologist of some kind. Better yet if you have your own TV Show as a survival expert. You know, the Bear Grylls kind. That way, if any scary life form is encountered on Mars, you'll simply - well - eat it.

Don't complain to me later that you didn't know. Go see. Meanwhile, they write:
"Plans for the 11th field season of the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) are moving ahead rapidly.  The 11th field season is now planned to run from December 3, 2011 through May 6, 2012. Volunteer slots are open for participation as a crew member at the MDRS. Crew members will be required to pay for their own transportation to Grand Junction, Colorado, and pay a $1000 participation fee (reduced to $500 for students) to cover station expenses.  Volunteers should send their applications to: mdrsvolunteers@aol.com by September 30, 2011 in order to be considered."


I note that it's the "Eleventh field season." Nobody is saying what happened to the participants from the first ten seasons!! Already on the red planet, p'raps. Wasn't there a movie about that? No, really really truly... lots of very intelligent - well, quite intelligent - people are working hard towards human habitation on Mars by the end of the present century. Habitation, not a touch-and-go landing and takeoff. It's a neat idea.

I'd apply for that desert habitat deal but I can't find a pen. Don't bother lending me one, Annabel.

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