I agree. The environment is far from known at this, that human life might eventually be sustainable is optimistic, and at what cost will it take to make it profitable.
I don’t know why NASA doesn’t pursue robotic missions until more information can be obtained. Why risk human life when machines can gather the information needed to make those decisions.
“Why risk human life when machines can gather the information needed to make those decisions.”.
Because humans are infinitely better than machines can ever be in noticing tiny little possibly critically important things. Humans can make decisions in the here and now. Humans will be able to adapt and build a city, and create new ideas and things that a robot or two never can.
There is no shortage of volunteers for such an endeavor, and most of them would gladly pay for the opportunity, though hopefully a rational approach to deciding who goes, by who can potentially contribute the most from their personal skill sets, ambitions, and willingness to learn and innate adaptability. Which is why it must be private and not government sponsored as they will do their accounting based on fairness and melanin content, thus will mars be colonized by muslims, and ultimately fail. But, there is an endless supply of volunteers, let them explore, humanity needs to explore, otherwise they get fat, lazy, and eventally turn into democrats