A Dutch-led firm is looking to become the first to put humans on the surface of Mars - in history's longest and most revealing reality TV show.

Mars One aims to create a "one-way" human colony on Mars by 2023, creating a habitable space for four astronauts using rover constructors before moving in a crew of four, who will live, work and die on the red planet.

The premise is simple - a substantial part of the cost of sending man to Mars would be sending all the fuel for the return trip. By making the trip one-way, a long-term presence on the planet would be established, whilst cutting the cost down to a fraction of original estimates.

The plan for funding poses a similar number of moral questions - Mars One will be funded by the broadcast rights for the landing, subsequent livestreams of life on Mars, and the landings of future astronaut teams every two years.

The effect will be for any Mars colony to become a massive, interplanetary big brother - audiences will watch the colonists eat, breed and die.

The plan raises ethical questions - Is it right to watch the lives of those sent to a far off land to die? What happens if public interest in the project - and therefore funding - dries up? And would the scientific value of any private space venture be spoiled by the demands of the audience?

Mars One is currently looking for funding to produce proof-of-concept designs.