Dorr native one of 100 finalists for trip to colonize planet Mars

Dorr native Laura Smith-Velazquez has received word that that she is one of 100 candidates worldwide chosen to participate in a mission to begin colonizing Mars.
Dutch-based non-profit Mars One will select 24 people, six crews of four, which would begin making one-way trips every two years beginning in 2024.
Smith-Velazquez, a 38-year-old engineer who now lives in Maryland with her husband, Matthew, works in a flight deck research lab, holds two degrees from Florida’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and certificates from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Mars One is seeking people who are outgoing, can take charge given a challenging task. Some 200,000 expressed interest when it first was unveiled.
According to a report on MLive.com, before lift-off, Mars One plans to put its astronauts through a series of technical and group training exercises, including a period spent in isolation on Earth. Those deemed not up to par with the mission will be replaced by another candidate.
That’s where Smith-Velazquez hopes her husband comes in — he applied but was not selected for the current group.
Smith-Velazquez said when she told one of her sisters she was picked as a candidate, family seemed more surprised that out of thousands, she’s among the few closer to living on another planet.
“My friends got me a telescope when I was 8,” Smith-Velazquez said. “I would stay out there half the night in dark Dorr, freezing, dreaming I could live and work in space.”