"This proposition being made publike and coming to the scanning of it all, it raised many variable opinions amongst men, and caused many fears and doubts amongst themselves. Some, from their reasons and hopes conceived, labored to stiff up and encourage the rest to undertake and prosecute the same; others, again, out of their fears, objected against it, and sought to divert from it, citing many things, and those neither unreasonable or unprobable; as that is was a great design, and subject to many unconceivable perills and dangers...
It was answered that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and must be both enterprised and overcome with answerable courages."
-Gov. William Bradford, of Plymouth Plantation,1621
Using twentieth century technology, the first human
explorers can reach Mars in about ten years for a cost well within the discretionary
spending of the U.S. government. Futhermore, with a little ingenuity and will, a
base can be built capable of sustaining moderate populations of people within the first
few decades of landing. These people will serve to master the techniques of survival
on Mars and begin to harness local resources.
However, the true challenge is making Mars a permanent home for humankind - a
settlement. The only problem is the cost. Every mission prior to this one has
been government funded, but who will pay to send colonists? A small base can be
maintained on government money but a society cannot. Therefore, the settlement must
be either autonomous, which is unlikely, or able to produce goods worth exporting to
Earth. After all, this was the impulse that settled America.
The answer to this question will have profound affects on the future of Mars as a planet.
For, if a civilization is established, and populations grow, the ability of the
colonists to alter the planet will also grow. To have a permanent civilization on
Mars will require the necessity of terraforming, which if possible, will make Mars as
habitable as Earth. However, it is still unknown if terraformation is possible.
Some may argue that Mars is a distant, harsh planet, with no apparent resources of value. However, it was similar arguments which were brought forth against the colonization of America and Australia. It is these kinds of arguments which prevented many European countries from benefiting from the New World and if these arguments are accepted today, we will never benefit from the resources of Mars. It is almost impossible to know what pursuits will be economically viable twenty years from now, nevertheless, in any economy, people on Mars would have serious advantages.
