[Travis McGee]

So...we'll spend trillions of dollars to move a "MarsBase" into place at a million bucks a pound so that in a century or so...billionaires will be able to pay for vacations there? Is that about how it's worked for the moon?

Remember, 35 years after Columbus, thousands of Europeans were making a profit sailing to the new world.

That just ain't gonna happen with the moon or Mars. A trillion bucks for a photo op is a bit steep.

Send robots, for pennies on the dollar.

[RightWhale]

That just ain't gonna happen with the moon or Mars.

No, it won't, not right away. Intolerable for a people impatient at a delay at Macdonald's drive-up window.

But there would be a point where space development would be self-supporting and it might take off after that. Where is that point? We won't see it just by placing a long-duration science base on the moon. Not even close. The ideal utopia would have 5000 residents.