[garjog]

“What a terrible idea.”

Yes, establishing a Martian colony is a terrible idea — just like sending small, rickety wooden boats across the Atlantic in the 1400 to explore the new world.

They had no idea what they would find, and faced the possibility of a short life due to hostile native attacks, stormed or starvation.

Really terrible idea.

Much better to stay put in nice, safe Europe for a few hundred years until the get the kinks out.

[garjog]

Exploring Mars in 2023 would be like Columbus exploring the new world in 1492. Scary, life threatening, impractical and thoroughly unsafe.

Good thing he did it or Elizabeth Warren would still be living with her tribe.

[Renderofveils]

Much better to stay put in nice, safe Europe for a few hundred years until the get the kinks out.

The first manned space mission wasn't to land on the moon. You don't run a marathon without taking a few laps around the block. And to use your example, the caravels used by Columbus had been used for exploration for the better part of 50 years prior to his journey. They didn't just whip them up within ten years of achieving Columbus's goal. They were tested. The one untested carrack he used wound up running aground.