I saw this link on CNN today about a group of candidates that are being whittled down from the last 100 applicants, to 24, so that they can go to Mars in six teams of four, to attempt colonisation.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/17/tech/mars-one-final-100/index.html?iref=obinsite
Having set Hope’s Daughter and The Rainbow Maker’s Tale in space, I’m always interested in these types of projects, that show how people are still looking at ways of making living elsewhere in space a reality. But, if you take a read of this article – spending seven months on a space shuttle, with the likelihood of being able to survive for just 64 days when you reach the planet – would you consider doing this?
(Image taken from the Explore Mars page at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/mars/background/ )
Mel Cusick-Jones 
Much as I want to see this happen, I don’t think it will. In two or three years, the whole project will be shelved, taking a lot of people’s money with it…
There seems to have been a shift from exploring outwards to inwards since we crossed the event horizon into the 21st century…more focus pushed towards exploring worlds virtually. It started with deep sea exploration, using a remote instead of going down in a sub in the 80s. It’s safer and it’s cheaper…and it’s also not as much fun as seeing someone standing on the red dust of a distant world.
Perhaps you’re right…I’m pretty dubious about this making it all the way to the one-way trip, but then you never know. Perhaps before that happens aliens will have invaded here 😉