back to article China’s state-run rags brand Mars One mission a scam

Chinese state-run media has branded the Mars One mission designed to land successful applicants on the Red Planet in 2023 a “hoax” and probable “scam”, in what appears to be a co-ordinated attempt to undermine the non-profit behind the project. In a “news” article titled Settlement on Mars a hoax? Over 10,000 Chinese people …

COMMENTS

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  1. LarsG
    Meh

    Before Scott set off for the Antartic he had a rented office in London?

    Truth be told, this Mars thing is just pie in the sky, next thing we will hear is the recruitment for a Big Brother style program that simulates a trip to Mars in the confines of a cellar somewhere near London. It's all about publicity for the program that will be.

  2. Chairo
    Holmes

    El Reg left the big question unanswered

    Now, is it a scam or not?

    1. Mystic Megabyte
      Stop

      Re: El Reg left the big question unanswered

      Scam.

    2. Don Jefe

      Re: El Reg left the big question unanswered

      I'm going to go with wishing, not scam. I have no doubt that TV producers would happily launch some people into space to grab viewers, but I don't think they'll be able to do it.

      Launching things into space is hard, unbelievably hard. The media kind of makes it seem like the Russians or NASA get in a good launch after their morning coffee but it takes months or years for people who know their shit and have resources to get it done.

      Best case the project will fall apart when they get overwhelmed by the details. Worst case the colony dies shortly after ignition.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Joke

        Re: El Reg left the big question unanswered

        "You have a problem and will not be going to space today."

    3. Wzrd1 Silver badge

      Re: El Reg left the big question unanswered

      Not *quite* a scam. Just overreaching for a first project by a planetary orbit, when low Earth orbit is problematic for that firm for at least a decade.

      So, I'd call it intellectual masturbation.

  3. Scott Broukell
    Meh

    Advertising pays the way

    All such projects need do is to plop a load of advertising hoardings down on said planet, asteroid or lump of stuff, just before mission touch-down. That way when the pictures and movies are beamed back to our very own tableture slobbering mind-set devices, we get to see those lovely fluffy big corporate names, right up there, in lights, on whatever destination the mission has chosen, awesome dude.

    1. Wzrd1 Silver badge

      Re: Advertising pays the way

      Then, watch on far from live TV, due to lightspeed delay between Earth and Mars, the gradual starvation of the intrepid "colonists".

  4. tkioz

    Honestly I'm not sure if it's intended to be a scam or not. Oh it's definitely a scam, it will fold in it on itself, there is zero chance this will work, but the question is do the people in charge know this, or are they dreamers?

    1. Mako

      Not to be overly nit-picky here, but surely for it to be labelled a scam there has to be intent to deceive on part of the "organisers"?

      So if we assume that it's never going to take off (and TBH I can't see it myself) it's either a genuine but overly-ambitious project with no real hope of success, or it's the most brazen crowd-sourced money-grabbing scam in history and the Mars One boys have the ultimate poker faces.

  5. AlgernonFlowers4
    Paris Hilton

    Mars ain't the kind of place

    Let's aim for Uranus instead!

    1. Maharg

      Re: In fact, its cold as hell...

      Uranus however...

  6. bitten

    Wait until the preliminary selection:

    Test 1 basics: Stay on a rock somewhere in the pacific for 19 (maybe 30) months with a very limited supply of food, water and booze and a gun with one bullet. Most scammers will chicken out.

    Test 2 ....

    1. NomNomNom

      that reminds me of Gareth from the office's solution on how to spot disability benefit cheats: Set off a fire alarm at the post office when they come for their money and if they jump out the wheelchair and run with everyone else then you've caught them.

    2. Jamie Jones Silver badge
      Facepalm

      The supposed scammers are the organisers, not the contestants!

    3. Wzrd1 Silver badge

      Why a gun with one bullet? I'll just bring a knife, some plastic sheeting and parachute cord.

      That'll get you by nicely, here on Earth. Your mileage may vary by a hell of a lot on Mars.

      Such as going nowhere.

  7. Crisp

    We get to watch people die on mars on live TV?

    I can't see how this could possibly go wrong.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Speaking of China's state-run media

    For those that missed it, google up an image of the new headquarters being erected by The People's Daily (an organ of the Central Committee).

    Remove all coffee from mouth first.

    1. Mark123
      Thumb Up

      Re: Speaking of China's state-run media

      My word, that looks just like a huge.....

      Dick come and have a look at this!

    2. Daniel B.
      Coat

      Re: Speaking of China's state-run media

      Taking in mind that this is the official mouthpiece of the Chinese government. Maybe they're just giving out a subliminal message about what they really are?

  9. ecofeco Silver badge
    Childcatcher

    Can't they tell the difference between

    ...a scam and a "promotion".

    Sheesh.

  10. Robert Helpmann??
    Childcatcher

    Communist Valhalla?

    Where you can fight all day and party all night, but only in a CCP approved manner? Skål... er...

    乾杯!

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    Capricorn one?

    Guess someone saw this movie and thought, "hey! now there's an idea!"....

  12. fpx
    Alert

    The Scam-O-Meter Twitches

    When people have to pay to even register, then it could easily be a money-making scheme. Put up a shiny web site and marketing material for a few thousand bucks. Solicit donations and get a few thousand applicants to sign up for only $38. After a few months of "reflection and analysis", declare the whole thing unfeasible and pocket the profit.

    Personally I think it the people involved may have a genuine intention of pursuing this plan. But then I think the plan is crazy from the start and does not have a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re. Scam-O-Meter

    Then again, the radiation problem makes a Mars trip difficult.

    I should start a Kickstarter "Unconventional radiation shielding for long duration space travel" to fund my

    research, at least then they'd have something useful even if it didn't work as well as hoped.

    HTSC's are useful for a lot more than just cool science experiments, MRI machines based on LN2 would be 1/8th the cost and that alone could improve many many lives.

    AC x520

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