A Maritime man is about to learn if he will be one of 200 to make the third cut for a one-way mission to Mars.

Claude Gauthier is a math and physics professor at Universite de Moncton.

He is one of 660 applicants globally, approximately 50 from Canada, who will hear later this month whether or not they have made the cut to be a part of the proposed Mars One Mission.

Gauthier first applied for a ticket to the red planet in the spring of 2013. The successful applicants, once chosen, will live the rest of their lives on Mars if the mission goes ahead.

Gauthier says he has not had complete support from family and friends.

“One of my daughters is behind me, the other two members of my family do not approve (of) my involvement in this adventure,” says Gauthier.

Gauthier says, even if he is not selected to move on to the 4th round of shortlisting, that's alright.

“Continue to dream about new adventures if I am selected for the third round. If I am not selected for the third round, I will be able to say that I have lived an extraordinary adventure as being part of this selection process.”

Students in Gauthier’s faculty of mathematics are cautiously supportive.

“Brave, it’s bold, it’s known to be a one-way trip, so you are leaving everything behind to go start a new life, a new life on Mars, so it’s got trade-offs,” says student Jeremy Jensen.

“It’s incredible, I don't know if I would do it myself, but someone who is risking it and wanting to go all out with it, that is an incredible journey,” says student Monica Fakhri.

Gauthier says establishing a colony on Mars is a good blue print, because he believes it is likely that humans will have to leave earth out of necessity at some point, if environmental degradation continues.

On February 16, applicants will learn by email if they will move on to the next round.

“February the 16th, for me, will be a day as usual,” says Gauthier. “I will wait and see. Either way I will be happy about the decision.”

Once the decision is made on the 16th, there will be one more round of shortlisting and then the real work begins.

Applicants will have roughly eight years of training in countries around the world with the other successful candidates and they will undergo a variety of tests before taking off for Mars in about a decade.

With files from CTV Atlantic's David Bell