DGAP-News

Mars One Ventures AG: funding enables important steps forward in 2017

DGAP-News: Mars One Ventures AG / Key word(s): Forecast
Mars One Ventures AG: funding enables important steps forward in 2017

05.01.2017 / 16:37
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Amersfoort, January 5, 2017 -- Mars One today confirms its short term
mission and business plans for 2017. In December 2016, a EUR6 million
investment from World Stock & Bond Trade Limited was announced of which a
first of six equal batches will be received end of January 2017. This will
allow Mars One to take the next steps to move the mission to Mars forward,
to strengthen its capital and liquidity position, and to boost the exposure
and commercial activities. Mars One expects to achieve this by expanding
the teams for the Mars One entities with experienced team members: the
not-for-profit Mars One Foundation and the publicly trading Mars One
Ventures AG [FRA: KCC], ISIN: CH0132106482.

"We'll add several team members with experience in implementing Mars
missions" said Arno Wielders, Mars One's CTO and Co-founder. "These new
team members will help us further shape and manage the technical road map
for our mission to Mars. In space development terms, our mission design is
currently in Phase A. Completing all conceptual design studies will result
in a firm baseline design and improved cost figures. Phase B will be the
detailed design of all elements needed to safely land humans on Mars and
keep them alive. Completing that development phase will allow Mars One to
move the mission forward to Phases C and D: all hardware is built,
manufactured, integrated and tested, and finally launched to Mars. That
should lead to full system readiness on the surface of Mars, giving the
green light for the first crew of four astronauts to start their journey to
Mars," explains Wielders.
The first three conceptual design studies in Mars One's current mission
development phase have been completed by Paragon Space Development
Corporation and Lockheed Martin. Suppliers with relevant experience will be
contracted to perform conceptual design studies for all other major
(sub)-systems required for the permanent settlement mission. These studies
demand 500 to 2500 man-hours each leading to a comprehensive technical
concept design of the various components of the mission to Mars.

In addition to expanding team on the engineering side of the mission, the
Mars One Foundation will hire team members with experience in crew
selection and training. Mars One is currently preparing for the next