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Long Island College Student Lands Among Top 100 Finalists For Trip To Mars

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A 21-year-old student from Long Island is among the 100 finalists vying for a spot to win a trip to Mars.

Laurel Kaye hopes to board Mars One when it's expected to take off in about 12 years.

The Dutch company sponsoring the mission said it can send people to Mars, but not bring them home—and that's OK with Kaye.

"This is something that's inspirational. It'll lead to new scientific discoveries, it'll bridge barriers between countries and it'll provide something that people look forward to, aspire to for generations to come," she said in a video.

LINK: Meet The Mars 100

In a bio on the Mars One website, Kaye said she is studying physics and pre-medicine at Duke University.

Mars One plans to put the first humans on another planet with a self-sustaining, permanent colony.

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