Source: Wikimedia Commons

I recently came across an article on Mars One, an initiative to fund a trip to the red planet by filming the selection of astronauts for a reality TV show. According to the organization’s Web site, the individuals chosen in this process will begin the lengthy preparation for a journey to Mars about a decade in the future.

Once they’ve reached the planet, they’ll begin the process of colonization. (They’ll be preceded by unmanned craft carrying cargo.) The explorers will operate out of a handful of pods connected by tunnels and powered by solar panels that have food production units, research facilities, and living spaces.

Whether the Mars One project is successful in its aims or not, it seems likely that humans will set foot on that planet sometime in this century. Over the past decade, private exploration has expanded to the point where commercial space flights are being talked about for next year. And nations besides the United States and Russia are going to space nowadays.

This got me thinking: What would selling real estate on Mars be like? Very likely, these would be things to think about in a Martian transaction: Continue reading »