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The idea that "marsers" think mars is a liftraft to escape too from a dying earth is, as far as I can tell, an lie spread to discredit people interested in in m

by zizee 3y ago

The idea that "marsers" think mars is a liftraft to escape too from a dying earth is, as far as I can tell, an lie spread to discredit people interested in in mars colonization. No one believes that mars is going to be a better/easier place to live than earth. It's idiotic, and only spouted by people that don't like the idea of Mars, and said to make "marsers" look like idiots in association.

jwells89 3y ago
This has been my experience. Nobody who has looked into Mars inhabitation at any depth considers it a “plan B”, at least not on any timescale relevant to those alive today — there’s maybe some value as insurance against a planet-killer asteroid or something similarly catastrophic, but that only comes into play once civilization has been thoroughly established on Mars, which is centuries into the future at soonest. The chief value of Mars has two parts. First, it opens up the first true frontier we’ve had in over a century and could serve as a sort of societal pressure relief valve. Second, as soon as there’s people living on Mars the impetus for developing technology to make living there (and in space) more safe, sustainable, and comfortable increases dramatically, which is a critical step in achieving true mastery of human spaceflight and ensuring that the species is not forever stuck in the bottom of Earth’s gravity well. Some may argue that the moon can serve these purposes as well and that may be true to a degree, but its proximity is a liability. Moon inhabitations are close enough to be well within the sphere of Earth’s political influence even if it achieves self-sustainability, which itself is unlikely because Earth is always there as a convenient source of supplies and escape hatch, just a week away. There’s a certain level of necessary commitment and autonomy that comes with building a civilization on Mars which I believe is key.

by zizee 3y ago

jwells89 3y ago

This has been my experience. Nobody who has looked into Mars inhabitation at any depth considers it a “plan B”, at least not on any timescale relevant to those alive today — there’s maybe some value as insurance against a planet-killer asteroid or something similarly catastrophic, but that only comes into play once civilization has been thoroughly established on Mars, which is centuries into the future at soonest. The chief value of Mars has two parts. First, it opens up the first true frontier we’ve had in over a century and could serve as a sort of societal pressure relief valve. Second, as soon as there’s people living on Mars the impetus for developing technology to make living there (and in space) more safe, sustainable, and comfortable increases dramatically, which is a critical step in achieving true mastery of human spaceflight and ensuring that the species is not forever stuck in the bottom of Earth’s gravity well. Some may argue that the moon can serve these purposes as well and that may be true to a degree, but its proximity is a liability. Moon inhabitations are close enough to be well within the sphere of Earth’s political influence even if it achieves self-sustainability, which itself is unlikely because Earth is always there as a convenient source of supplies and escape hatch, just a week away. There’s a certain level of necessary commitment and autonomy that comes with building a civilization on Mars which I believe is key.