Australia gearing up for a reality show that’s out of this world. Thousands of Australians have applied for a one-way trip to Mars in a bid to start a new life at the red planet.

Over 2,500 Aussies and more than 500 New Zealanders have submitted their application to The Mars One Project, a non-profit foundation that aims to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars come 2023. According to the foundation, human settlement on the planet is possible now because of technology.

It is backed by advisers and ambassadors who boast impressive credentials, including NASA engineers and scientists, astronauts, media personalities, and Nobel Prize awardees.

The search for settlers began in April 2013, with more than 78,000 entries submitted in the first two weeks. The project now has 165,000 applications from hopeful astronauts from 140 countries, including the U.S., China, Brazil, India, Russia, UK, Mexico, Canada, Spain, and the Philippines.

Training for permanent settlement will start in 2015.

“We now have a large group of applicants from where we can start our search,” Mars One chief medical officer Dr Norbert Kraft was quoted by the AAP as saying.

“Finding the best crews of qualified and compatible individuals is crucial to the success of our mission.”

Broadcasting rights and sponsorship mostly fund the project, which costs $6 billion. Big Brother co-creator Paul Romer is one of the ambassadors of The Mars One Project, and is expected to broadcast the process as a worldwide media event, with the audience voting for the teams they want to reach Mars first.

Applications have closed on August 31, but those who are interested to live on Mars and are over the age of 18 still have a chance since Mars One will send out a new batch of settlers every two years.