Scientists warned this would happen: The Mars One plan to colonize our neighboring planet in the next decade is no more.
Mars One Ventures, a startup that has been around since 2012, declared bankruptcy in mid-January, and Forbes reports the company is now dissolved , according to a Civil Court notice in the City of Basel in Switzerland. Its founder, Bas Lansdorp, has been fairly quiet in the years since announcing the goal to launch the first robotic mission in 2020.
The first colonists would likely be able to be sent to Mars in 2023, the company touted. But scientists regularly pointed out that it was a false promise, Forbes reports . The Massachusetts Institute of Technology had even published a report on the feasibility, and MIT researchers tore apart the founder's mission.
Scientists said the first colonists would only have two months to live before habitats failed and they suffocated.
Lansdorp has said the mission would be a reality TV show and self-funded, with the hope being viewers would see astronauts in training, comparing the money made from broadcasting rights to that which the Olympics earns. He said people would be able to watch colonization volunteers get ready to go.
A Forbes article questions whether Mars One was a scam , or if the people behind the plan were just unprepared for the enormity of the challenges.
Mars One Ventures has less than $25,000 in its bank account, according to the court filing, which was first noticed by a Reddit user .
