What is up with Mars?

[LN400]

The other argument, far more important, is the expansion of the human race. Though in my opinion, the Moon and NEOs should be our main concentration to set feet on, explore, and settle, we should eventually colonize Mars.

It's like the New World in the early days of European exploration. Yes, Mars is a lot less inhabitable than the New World then, but it's the same in its core. People went exploring the world on ships, knowing they had a far greater chance of dying than of space exploration today.

One thing to keep in mind is, exploration and colonisation are 2 completely different games with different set of drives. Exploration, curiosity, search for resources. Colonisation, mainly necessity. I'd think we'd settle on Antartica and the North Pole ice cap before Mars and there is little enthusiasm for that so far as far as I'm aware. So, exploration of Mars, we're underway there. Colonisation, perhaps. Perhaps not.

Edited September 18, 2015 by LN400