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“You don’t run a marathon without taking a few laps around the block.”

If you are saying that trans-Atlantic sea travel had been perfected by Columbus’s time I would question that. These ventures were quite risky.

It is a false analogy to say that space exploration is like a runner who hasn’t prepared for a marathon.

Space travel has been developing for the last 60 years, with the moon landings, shuttle program, space station, pervasive orbiting satellites, un-manned robotic crafts and recently privately financed space ships.

Now is the time for another leap forward.

Who says that we can’t take a giant risk, especially if it is with volunteers using private money?

This program is similar to pioneers crossing the continent in covered wagons — not long after Lewis and Clark mapped it.

The robotic drones will go to Mars first to set things up.

Sounds doable to me.

If you are saying that trans-Atlantic sea travel had been perfected by Columbus’s time I would question that. These ventures were quite risky.

Perfected, no. Tried before by other seamen? Yes. 980(-ish), Eric the Red landed in Greenland. Almost 500 years before Columbus, Ericson set foot in Canada. Sailors regularly hit the Azores in the 1300s coming back from the Canary Islands. All of these required technology and skills honed over years. 60 years of experience is all well and good, but can you name the last time a human being went outside of Low Earth Orbit? Let me help you out. It returned to Earth December 14, 1972.

So in those 40 years we've figured out how to battle the problems with prolonged microgravity? Sure, in Low Earth Orbit. Outer space is a completely different ballgame. It takes about 214 days to reach Mars from Earth. You do realize that everyone on that mission would be tied for 10th place on the most time spent in space by the time they get there? (That's counting LEO flights.) Don't get me wrong, I think putting a colony on Mars is a great idea, eventually. Put a successful colony on the moon first, and Mars becomes a realistic goal. Right now, it's a deathtrap.