Mars offers quite a few things that make it more inviting for a manned base: - 38% of Earth's gravity - 24.5 hour days - lots of resources such as iron, carb

Mars offers quite a few things that make it more inviting for a manned base: - 38% of Earth's gravity - 24.5 hour days - lots of resources such as iron, carbon, oxygen, water (ice) - aerobraking in the atmosphere saves fuel - it's big (same land mass as Earth's). There's enough room for growth. - temperatures are better than elsewhere in space (-63°C to +20°C at the equator) - Lava tubes that could offer protection against radiation and meteorites for habitats - good potential of life / former life