A husband whose wife was among the first to be sent on a one-way trip to Mars said he is ready for her to go.

Jason Stanford's wife Sonia Van Meter was one of the people chosen for the Mars One Project, a privately-funded one-way mission which aims to establish a permanent human colony on the red planet.

The first Mars One mission is expected to launch in 2026, with more missions to follow after that.

Sonia Van Meter is set to leave behind his sons Henry, 13, and Hatcher, 11, in order to help start a new colony on Mars.

Mr Stanford refers to himself as  an "astronaut wife", says he supports his wife's decision.

He said in an interview with Texas Monthly: "This was bigger than me. It raises existential questions far weightier than how much I’d miss Sonia and whether I remembered who our plumber was or knew where she kept all the passwords.

"What could be my personal horror story would become the world’s grandest adventure, and understanding how this might change my life forced me to realize that Mars One could change everyone’s life.
"If it succeeds in its mission – establishing a sustainable colony on another planet – it would change the history of humanity by expanding our boundaries beyond this planet."

Some 200,000 applicants are said to have applied for the mission, and Sonia was selected as one of the top 100 by Mars One.

However, Sonia's decision to head to Mars has drawn a lot of criticism from other people, criticising her for leaving her family behind.

Mr Stanford said the critics are missing the point.
He added: "Sonia, a stepmother and wife, flipped the gender script on an archetypal story and made such inquiries irresistible. She’s been asked how she could abandon me more times than most people have been asked if they want fries with that."

Scientists state that those travelling may be exposed to dangerously high levels of radiation during the 253-day journey from Earth to Mars.

In his piece, Mr Stanford concluded: "Imagine that you know you will be watching your spouse evolve on another planet before she dies of cancer inside of a decade. Imagine that everyone on Earth is watching with you. Now imagine that this idea no longer seems strange."

"It’s time to accept my role. Her name is Sonia Van Martian, and I’m the astronaut wife. We’re just an ordinary married couple in an extraordinary situation, and we’re taking it one small step for man at a time."ADNFCR-2867-ID-801796399-ADNFCR

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