— Human settlement on Mars is a long way away, but two Missouri residents are on the short list to be among the first settlers of the Red Planet.

Twenty-nine year old Maggie Duckworth of Bridgeton and 26-year-old Tim Gowan of University City are among the 1,058 initial candidates chosen from a pool of 200,000 who applied for a one-way trip to Mars as part of the privately funded Mars One mission.

The odds are still slim for both. Just four people will be on the initial launch slated for 2024. Four more people would be sent every two years after that. Duckworth and Gowan would both have to pass a rigorous selection process, and the Mars One project itself faces numerous hurdles.\

The Mars One program list the following as key characteristics they want in an astronaut.

Characteristic	Practical Applications
Resiliency	Your thought processes are persistent. You persevere and remain productive. You see the connection between your internal and external self. You are at your best when things are at their worst. You have indomitable spirit. You understand the purpose of actions may not be clear in the moment, but there is good reason—you trust those who guide you. You have a “Can do!” attitude.
Adaptability	You adapt to situations and individuals, while taking into account the context of the situation. You know your boundaries, and how/when to extend them. You are open and tolerant of ideas and approaches different from your own. You draw from the unique nature of individual cultural backgrounds.
Curiosity	You ask questions to understand, not to simply get answers. You are transferring knowledge to others, not simply showcasing what you know or what others do not.
Ability to Trust	You trust in yourself and maintain trust in others. Your trust is built upon good judgment. You have self-informed trust. Your reflection on previous experiences helps to inform the exchange of trust.
Creativity / Resourcefulness	You are flexible in how an issue / problem / situation is approached. You are not constrained by the way you were initially taught when seeking solutions. Your humor is a creative resource, used appropriately as an emerging contextual response. You have a good sense of play and spirit of playfulness. You are aware of different forms of creativity.

Age

The astronaut selection program will be open for applicants who are 18 years or older. This is the age by which children become legal adults in most countries in the world. Mars One believes it is important that applicants who enter the astronaut selection program are capable of entering into a legal contract without the supervision of others.

There is not an upper age limit to apply for the astronaut selection program. If the applicant enjoys good health and he or she has all the other characteristics needed for the mission he or she has what it takes to apply.

Medical and Physical Requirements

In general, normal medical and physiological health standards will be used. These standards are derived from evidence-based medicine, verified from clinical studies.

• The applicant must be free from any disease, any dependency on drugs, alcohol or tobacco;
• Normal range of motion and functionality in all joints;
• Visual acuity in both eyes of 100% (20/20) either uncorrected or corrected with lenses or contact lenses;
• Free from any psychiatric disorders;
• It is important to be healthy, with an age- and gender-adequate fitness level;
• Blood pressure should not exceed 140/90 measured in a sitting position;
• The standing height must be between 157 and 190 cm.

Country of Origin & Language

Mars One accepts applicants from any country in the world.

The official language, will be English. It is possible however, to enter the selection program without an extensive knowledge of English. Applicants can apply in one of the 11 most used languages on Internet: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Russian, Arabic, Chinese Mandarin, Korean, Indonesian, Japanese.  As applicants progress through the selection procedure, requirements on their English skills will increase. For the second round of the selection program, selected applicants will meet a Mars One selection committee for an interview. For this interview, A2 English level (elementary) will be essential.