An Inverness accountant has beaten thousands of applicants to become the only Scot short-listed for a mission to Mars.
Sarah Johnson, 30, was one of more than 200,000 people worldwide who applied to be included on the Mars One mission, which aims to set up a human colony on the red planet within a decade.
The private space flight project, led by Dutch businessman Bas Landsdorp, has now whittled down the candidates to 705 and Ms Johnson has made it on to the list.
She now faces an interview by a selection committee later this year in order to secure her place among the pioneers aiming to set up home in a inflatable pod on one of the most inhospitable landscapes in the universe.
If successful, she will be placed in a team of prospective Mars settlers and expected to dedicate the next eight years to preparing full-time for the mission ahead of the first crew of four departing in 2024.
In her video application Ms Johnson, who currently lives in Abu Dhabi, said: “The reason I want to go on the mission to Mars is I find myself waking up every morning thinking there must be more to life and the reason for this is probably because I am an accountant.
“However, I want to dispel the myth that accountants are dull and boring by becoming the world’s first astronaut accountant.”
She said she believed the skills she had developed through her careers such as solving business problems and working with people from a diverse range of backgrounds had prepared her well for the mission.
Her application also stated she has “travelled extensively in countries out of her comfort zone” including in Uganda, Kenya, Cambodia and Laos. She has also volunteered in Tanzania, Costa Rica and India.
The cost of the first mission is expected to be around £3.6billion and funds will be raised through selling the broadcasting rights for a “Big Brother-style event”, in which the preparations and landing will be broadcast on television around the world. Further fundraising is planned via sponsorships and crowd-funding schemes.