Icelander To Take Virtual Trip To Mars

An electric car salesman will soon be the first Icelander to take a virtual trip to the only planet inhabited entirely by robots: Mars.

Nútíminn reports that Gísli Gíslason, the managing director of Icelandic electric car company Even, has received a special invitation from NASA to take a virtual trip to Mars.

“Yeah, you have to try everything,” Gísli said. “I think they’re inviting people who are already on their way into space. But I’m not [in reality] going to Mars, it’s just a one way ticket there.”

Gísli is already in training to take a round trip into space. Currently #258 in line to ride Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic spaceship into orbit, he went to Philadelphia last summer to begin his preparations. The intense regime he has undergone so far has included testing his endurance under high G-forces.

“I received at most 6.4 Gs,” he said. “I don’t know of any Icelander who has withstood that much pressure. It was like an elephant sitting on me.”

Gísli expects to board Virgin Galactic next year or the year after that. The date of his virtual trip to Mars was not disclosed.