The Pros And Cons Of Interplanetary Colonization

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Still, it should be noted that NASA and other private spacefaring companies have many challenges to overcome when it comes to interplanetary colonization. The technology, funds, and public approval are all important factors on how well each mission will go. Mars has been in the public spotlight mostly due to its exposure in science fiction, as “many classical science fiction authors wrote about colonizing Mars” during the 1950s, including Bradbury, Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein (Williams). This has put Mars into the spotlight, while shoving other planetary prospects aside. Mercury, Venus, the moon, and even Jupiter’s moons are all candidates that have been barely explored due to the lack of attention from the public eye. Even so, after America’s …show more content…

So NASA, ESA, and ROSCOSMOS are all competing to send a manned Mars mission (Williams). This competition will give the winning country the most influence over the future colony and biggest step forward in planting their pioneers on the planet. A mission needs money, and funds require public approval. However, if these people are not interested in interplanetary colonization, then these programs will never get the money needed to make the concepts into reality.
There are cases in the world that present Mars as more attractive than Venus as a prospect. When it comes to the appeal of the Red Planet versus the Evening Star, many look at the latter’s characteristics and decide that the former would be preferable for scientists. After all, many look at Mars and Earth and find that their similarities, “the availability of water, the prospects for generating food, oxygen, and building materials on-site” makes Mars a much more attractive option for colonization (Williams). A colony’s viability is known to depend upon the prospect of materials and the amount of resources. Materials generated onsite saves fuel and time that are crucial in the first