Mars One

Mars One was a nonprofit organization that aimed to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars. Founded in 2012, it sought to send the first humans to the Red Planet by the 2020s using a one-way ticket approach, meaning participants would not return to Earth. The initiative attracted significant public interest and received thousands of applications from aspiring astronauts. However, it faced skepticism about its feasibility and funding, leading to its eventual bankruptcy in 2019. Despite its challenges, Mars One sparked conversations about human exploration of Mars and the possibility of life beyond Earth.