The dream of colonizing Mars may no longer be relegated to the world of science fiction. If Netherlands non-profit Mars One succeeds in its elaborate mission, humans could be settling on the Red Planet in the not-so-distant-future of 2023. To kick-start the sweeping astronaut-selection process and begin what Mars One co-founder Bas Lansdorp calls “the biggest media event ever,” the organization recently released its application criteria, and announced that a team of Mars One experts and viewers of a “global, televised program” will ultimately choose the first of Earth’s ambassadors to Mars. Can this possibly be for real? Here’s what you need to know: