Fancy a trip to Mars? Here's your chance - it'll only take seven years' training

A Dutch company is seeking volunteers to help start a colony on Mars

If you're up for adventure and you've thought about leaving the planet for good, this might be the opportunity for you.

A not-for-profit Dutch organisation, Mars One, is looking for willing volunteers to start a permanent human colony on Mars in 2023. Each crew will be made up of two men and two women, and it's expected that a new crew will join them every two years after that.

According to CEO Bas Lansdorp, Mars One are searching for "people of all nations who want to settle on Mars".

To apply, you need to be 18-40 and there's a $38 processing fee for the application. It's not for the faint-hearted or commitment-phobic, though: volunteers are expected to train for seven years, before embarking on a seven month flight to get to their new home.

When asked about the possibility that the new homemakers may want to increase their numbers organically, Lansdorp added: "Any prospective parent should always ask themselves 'Is this the right time and place for me to have children?'... Maybe when there's 20 or 30 people on Mars, that could become a possibility."