[wyager]

Nope, I meant what I said. The moon was impossible in 1950. Actually impossible, not just expensive like getting someone to Mars in the very near future. The tech didn't exist.

> We haven't kept someone in space long enough to reach mars nor have we developed a sustainable model that's extraterrestrially tested

SpaceX claims to be able to do it in as little as 90 days. You can go a lot faster with more free fuel. We've kept someone in space for 4 times that.

> Mars has more problems than a moon base, not significantly less

What are you referring to? Mars has available gasses, water, and more easily accessible useful solids than the moon. It will be easier to get radiation shielding on Mars, as the surface is more amenable to building underground structures.

> Except that we have no demonstrable way to do it

You are aware that we have sent probes to Mars, yes? The only difference between that and the human is how much money you're willing to spend to increase the chances of the journey being survivable.

[maxst]

> Actually impossible, not just expensive like getting someone to Mars in the very near future. The tech didn't exist.

What about the tech to grow food in space? Is it "just expensive" or it doesn't exists? I think it doesn't exist.

I think we need a dedicated food-growing space lab, and run it for least 10 years, until we're confident we have a robust technology that works.

[whiskers08xmt]

I don't think growing food in space is all that important, as long as you can grow it on Mars. You can pack supplies for 80 days, especially if you have an effective water re-usage system like the one on the ISS.

Once on Mars, we could probably use something like this:

https://uanews.arizona.edu/story/the-martian-food-growing-sy...

For producing crops and oxygen, and maybe even supplies for a return trip.