The Economic Viability of Mars Colonization (1995) [pdf]

I do not understand the obsession for focusing on colonizing only planets. We won't be viably "in" space until we produce mass quantities of raw materials from The Moon and asteroids. Lifting from Earth is always more expensive in energy. Once we build space stations, why would people who grew up in them want to live "dirtside"? Why would people who grew up on Earth want to live on Mars instead of a nice climate controlled habitat? I'm sure some will, but I bet most won't. Beyond mining and tourism, I doubt Mars will be heavily populated.

There is also the book length &quot;The Case for Mars&quot; by the same author:<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Case_for_Mars" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;The_Case_for_Mars</a><p>[I&#x27;ve had a romantic obsession with the colonization of Mars ever since I read the KSR Mars Trilogy]

If economic exploitation of Antarctica, which is only a few hours away from &quot;civilization&quot;, has water literally everywhere, and where the air is perfectly breathable is currently not viable, I can&#x27;t imagine what it would take to make Mars, or mining asteroids, viable.

Isn&#x27;t the main issue with Mars not it&#x27;s atmosphere or landscape but rather the fact that it has no magnetic field to speak of? That poses an issue for electronics as well as any living beings that aren&#x27;t tardigrades.<p>Edit: the only solution to this that I can think of would be to have any and all housing underground, since I don&#x27;t think it will be possible to restore Mars&#x27; magnetosphere.

Regarding food growing, I sort of expect that on either Mars or the Moon you would end up using solar panels to feed grow lights. You lose power via solar cell inefficiency but you make some of that back by shifting the spectrum of the light you emit into the wavelengths plants can absorb most easily. It&#x27;s a hassle, but potentially less so than all the dangers your plants could be running into above ground.<p>And I figure the only viable colonization sites on the moon are the north and south poles, where you can get solar power continuously.

&quot;It is shown, that of all bodies in the solar system other than Earth, Mars is unique in that it has the resources required to support a population of sufficient size to create locally a new branch of human civilization.&quot;