Even if an asteroid hits earth and wiped out mostly everything, it would still make more sense to wait in orbit and re-colonize earth than to colonize mars. You'd be able to put way more people in orbit than on mars. Even if there was a mars colony and the earth was hit by an asteroid, going back to earth after X number of years or centuries would still be better in the long run than trying to establish a permanent new home on mars. That's what these mars colonization dreams fail to realize....earth will always be the best candidate.
Just imagine you're on mars and earth is hit and X amount of time passes and the dust starts to settle. Even if the atmosphere is toxic, as long as the oceans haven't boiled away, that one sole reason alone would be enough to go back to re-colonize earth. Not to mention the gravity. Live in habitats on a desert wasteland with low gravity....or live in habitats on a toxic atmosphere earth with readily available water and other resources (that may eventually recover on its own) that is the right distance from the sun for liquid water with a thick enough atmosphere that you would only need breathers and not pressure suits. It's a no brainer!
Still goes back to the same thing....terraforming earth back to its former glory would be easier or at worst, basically the same amount of work....so why bother terraforming mars instead? At the end of the day, the numbers still all point back to earth.
Yeah really even Antarctica is more hospitable.
Here's hoping Mars is a start to spreading out from this rock.
Even if an asteroid hits earth and wiped out mostly everything, it would still make more sense to wait in orbit and re-colonize earth than to colonize mars. You'd be able to put way more people in orbit than on mars. Even if there was a mars colony and the earth was hit by an asteroid, going back to earth after X number of years or centuries would still be better in the long run than trying to establish a permanent new home on mars. That's what these mars colonization dreams fail to realize....earth will always be the best candidate.
Just imagine you're on mars and earth is hit and X amount of time passes and the dust starts to settle. Even if the atmosphere is toxic, as long as the oceans haven't boiled away, that one sole reason alone would be enough to go back to re-colonize earth. Not to mention the gravity. Live in habitats on a desert wasteland with low gravity....or live in habitats on a toxic atmosphere earth with readily available water and other resources (that may eventually recover on its own) that is the right distance from the sun for liquid water with a thick enough atmosphere that you would only need breathers and not pressure suits. It's a no brainer!
Terraforming if possible. Otherwise only reason to go is for resources or personal freedoms.
Still goes back to the same thing....terraforming earth back to its former glory would be easier or at worst, basically the same amount of work....so why bother terraforming mars instead? At the end of the day, the numbers still all point back to earth.