3 ms·
We've had an in-orbit base for over 20 years without any claim of future tax revenue or commercial viability. On Earth, we have a long history of establishing r
by gizmo686 3y ago
We've had an in-orbit base for over 20 years without any claim of future tax revenue or commercial viability. On Earth, we have a long history of establishing research bases in places where there is no potential for a viable colony (e.g. Antarctica).
All we need is the political will and we can fund a Mars base as a purely government funded research program.
- voxic11 3y agoSure a research base, but we probably wont see colonies on mars for the same reasons we don't see colonies in antarctica.
- CptFribble 3y agoA self-sufficient colony outside Earth is a worthy goal in and of itself: 1. The indomitable human spirit and drive to explore and expand 2. It's cool 3. More room for humans There are also reasons that don't apply to Antarctica: 1. Hedging our bets against planet-ending catastrophes (global warming, giant asteroid/comet strike, ultra-pandemic) 2. Another stepping stone to exploring further interesting/important space goals, like gathering resources from the asteroid belt/moons of jupiter/etc, discovering life on Europa, and so on
- kiba 3y agoPart of the reason we don't colonize Antarctica is that it isn't romanticized to the same degree as the colonization of Mars.
- wredue 3y agoThat was a time of reasonable faith in science and a political era where one could get large agendas done.