COIMBATORE, February 18 – A 19-year-old student shortlisted for a one-way trip to Mars in 2024 is confident of making it to the red planet, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. “I feel proud and happy for being chosen from over 200,000 applicants.
My parents are very happy after hearing about the selection,” said Shraddha Prasad, a mechanical engineering student at Amrita University. Prasad along with Indians 29-year-old Taranjeet Singh Bhatia and Dubai-based Ritika Singh, 29, are among 100 hopefuls who will move on to the next round of an ambitious mission to send four people on a permanent basis to Mars.
Their names were made public on Monday by Netherlands-based non-profit organisation Mars One which aims to set up the first human colony on Mars. Prasad, who hails from Kerala, said she came to know about her selection a few days ago. “I am optimistic of winning the fourth and final round of the interview,” she said.
“I am fully confident of making it to the final list. I will land and settle down in Mars,” she added. The date for the fourth and final interview is yet to be fixed. The next rounds of selection will focus on composing teams that can endure all hardships of a permanent settlement on the red planet.
Candidates will receive their first shot at training and live in a copy of the Mars outpost on Earth. The 100 applicants comprise 39 from the Americas, 31 from Europe, 16 from Asia, 7 from Africa and 7 from Oceania.
-BERNAMA
