'The Martian' author Andy Weir is less optimistic about getting to Mars than NASA

"The Martian" was reviewed on this blog.

"During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive." - IMDA

Director:Ridley Scott

Writers: Drew Goddard (screenplay), Andy Weir (book)

The book is soon to be a movie starring Matt Damon, but the book's author Andy Weir is surprisingly less optimistic than NASA about the likelihood of humans making it to Mars, "My stock answer is probably around 2050," Weir told the audience assembled at this week's Humans to Mars conference at The George Washington University.

"I know that sounds further away than most people would like to hear, but the technology necessary to get there and the costs of getting there are just very high and it's a big challenge."  This was not the timeline that NASA announced at the same conference:  NASA space agency's head, Charles Bolden, opened the conference by announcing a timeline that puts USA astronauts on Mars in the 2030s, a goal that Bolden insisted NASA is on track to meet. In response to a question, Weir told the audience that his own 2050 estimate for getting humans to Mars "might be optimistic," going on to recall that during the Apollo missions, many thought we'd be on Mars by the 1980s.

Weir supports creating a colony on Mars so that humanity can become less dependent on Earth. "I would like to have a self-sufficient colony of humans and other species somewhere other than Earth," he said. "I'm a 25-year-veteran software engineer and I think it's important to back things up."

"It is Mars One's goal to establish a human settlement on Mars. Human settlement of Mars is the next giant leap for humankind. Exploring the solar system as a united humanity will bring us all closer together. "

The Mars One shortlist is out, and sadly, most were disappointed. Out of over 200,000 applicants seeking to take part in a 2025 mission to colonize Mars, only 1,000 or so were selected. From that pool, ultimately only two dozen able bodied guys and gals will be tapped to rocket 34 million miles (at its closest orbit) into space – a journey that would take at least five months. Reuters via MSN News on Friday said the whole mission will be funded by – what else but – reality television. “The challenge with 200,000 applicants is separating those who we feel are physically and mentally adept to become human ambassadors on Mars from those who are obviously taking the mission much less seriously,” mission co-founder and Mars One CEO Bas Lansdorp said. The selectees include men and women from 107 countries, with most coming from the U.S. Nearly 300 candidates are from the U.S., 75 are from Canada, and 62 are from India. The mission has the attention, and technical backing, of NASA, Lansdorp reports. Industry experts, including former NASA engineers and a member of the NASA Advisory Council, will be advising the mission throughout its advancement. After the final team is in place, members will begin training as full-time salaried employees of Mars One. “The training will likely happen in the U.S. and the candidates will be like any other expat in the country," Lansdorp said, referring to those from countries outside the U.S. "Hopefully they’ll be able to bring their families over, too. This will be like any other job, except the goal of the job is more ambitious.” Of course, the project has its skeptics – lots of them. "I respect their interest and wish them well, but I really just don't take them seriously," John Spencer, the founder of the Space Tourism Society, told ABC News. "You need billions of dollars to do a Mars mission." Head over to Mars-One.com for more mission critical info.