Mars One, a not-for-profit organization which plans to establish a human settlement on Mars in 2023, today issued the base requirements for its pending Astronaut Selection Program. This establishes the first step toward the global selection process which will commence in the first half of 2013.
Unique to all other space exploration endeavors before it, Mars One is opening the astronaut program to anyone on planet Earth that meets the base criteria. It is not necessary to have military training nor experience in flying aircraft nor even a science degree. It is most important that each applicant be intelligent, in good mental and physical health, and be willing to dedicate eight years to training and learning before making the journey to his or her new home on Mars.