This is probably one of the crazier stories out there yet, but it’s also definitely one of the coolest. A project called Mars One is attempting to start the first ever human colony outside of our planet. On Mars. And turn the entire thing into a crazy reality TV show. I’ll let that sink in for you for just a bit.

To find contestants for their little experiment (with a cost over $8 billion), the company will be accepting video submissions that will cost money with the amount depending on the country you live in. The cost for entering a submission will be $25 at most, but it’s really just a way for them to ensure that they get more serious applicants than the other way around.

After selecting their contestants, they will then be put through a seven year-long training program to turn them into astronauts fit for the journey. And training will be crucial, because the journey will be a long one. It will be a 210-day flight to Mars, and there will be no going back.

The reason for the one-way ticket is that the winners are meant to start a human colony in Mars. The current expected date for arrival in the red planet is April 24th, 2023 and a press conference to divulge more details on this crazy and seemingly impossible endeavor will be held in New York City next week.

It sounds insane, but it’s hard to deny that if they pull this off, it will be nothing short of historic.

What do you think of the Mars One project? Would you be willing to take a one-way trip to Mars? Let us know in the comments!

[via Space.com, The Verge, image via Kevin M. Gill]