Spend the night on 'Mars'

It is now possible to experience life on another planet – sort of. In Spain, and for a reported whopping €10,000 (an estimated R163,855.67), certain people can spend a few nights on ‘Mars’.

Astroland, an interplanetary agency in northern Spain, is equipped with the necessary technology to develop and mimic a hostile environment similar to that of the red planet. The agency aims to develop technology and skills necessary for living on Mars, in the event that humankind needs to find a new home.

The headquarters and Mars-like accommodation offers potential space tourists the opportunity to experience what it would be like to live in a ‘human pod’.

The underground landscapes look and have the feeling of those on Mars. Reports state that ‘astrolanders’ will be over 1.5km deep within the Cantabrian caves encompassed in darkness and cold, wearing gear suited for the planet’s conditions in the built station.

Astrolanders will undergo training before they enter the cave to understand the technology and how to live in the ‘alien’ conditions, including the hydroponic crop production system.

The training system follows the methodologies of the European SpaceAgency (ESA) to train missions with crews of 10 to endure the same sensations that astronauts on Mars would experience.

Astroland CEO David Ceballos told The Telegraph what the conditions of the cave are like.

‘The martian environment is very hostile, with low temperatures, strong winds and high levels of solar radiation, which means the most suitable way of maintaining human life is… under the martian surface.’

Those selected as part of the crews will be equipped with a special 3D-printed suit.

Although the jury is still out on whether or not the red planet could be hospitable for human life, Astroland is determined to continue with the trials and will begin its tours from June 2019.

In order to take part in the tours, potential space tourists must apply online here and undergo a series of interviews. The interviews will assess and analyse applicants to see whether they seem suited to life on ‘Mars’.

Applicants must be over the age of 18 years old and be willing to stay in the caves for at least three days.

In a statement on Astroland’s official website, Ceballos states that spending time and sleeping in the caves is a one-of-a-kind experience.

‘This is an epic adventure with scientific aims but also emotional ones, from which we hope to take new learnings in order to improve today’s society and contribute our knowledge to allow people to live on other planets in the future.’