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Comment by zalzane | Hacker News Reader

This feels like one of the most "in your face" scams I've seen in awhile.

The first thing I wanted to find out when I visited the site is where they got their funding - of course that section is absent from the site. The second thing I looked up is how they expected to get there and how they were solving the engineering challenges involved. On the technology page I found a dumbed down list of the different modules involved in the launch, and on the "is this really possible?" page I got a tidbit telling me they were using solar panels and nonpressurized rovers.

The icing on the cake is the $38 application fee and the note that "The entire plan revolves around the use of existing, validated technology".

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There's less than 500 people on that page. Let's be wild and assume they quadruple that to 2000 applicants. Times 38 dollars, that's less than 80000 dollars.

For that, they made an elaborate web page, did tons of PR outreach (not just on the internet; they're Dutch, and have been in Dutch traditional media a fair lot). They even got a reputable university on board (Universiteit Twente).

To scam people out of $80k?

No. They actually believe that there's a fair chance that they'll pull this off. Whether that's a sensible belief is another thing entirely, but they believe it.

You do know that they plan to finance the trip by selling TV show rights for it? Even if it miserably fails, it's great television.

A reality TV show or viral marketing stunt is more likely than an outright scam.

Exactly my thought. They have a graphics designer on their team! Actually, I think the graphics designer is the only person who has done anything for this project so far. And those letters from SpaceX etc, that they show in the video, ha ha, a typical scam indicator. I'll rather go buy myself a couple drinks in the club with those $38 tonight.

One thing is the application fee. Second are google ads (very unrelated in my case). It would be too bad if it turned out to be a complete scam. It occurs to me that some of those people put quite a lot of effort into making their "demo" videos (not all of them are webcam presentations).

I was a little on the fence at first, but their insane timetable has convinced me it's either a scam or -- more likely -- some kind of reality TV or viral marketing stunt.

Too bad. I would like to see a serious effort to go to Mars. But that will probably come from Hawthorne, CA.

A modest processing fee isn't unreasonable. It ensures only those who are truly serious apply, and the money would help cover the many costs of this campaign.

Common, don't be so cynical.

Hello Poe's Law†.

†: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poes_law

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