[Shivetya]

the book is highly fascinating and similar to another favorite of mine; Red Mars; involves sending and confirming arrival of support missions before manned missions are sent.

other than "we did it" I am still trying to understand the value in sending man to Mars. Oh I am all for it, just how do we sell it to the public to the point politicians cannot forever turn it down by laying claim to the money better served elsewhere?

So while the author thinks it has to be government, private individuals would have less restrictions spending the money and more reasons to find ways to get the costs down to minimal levels without losing sight of the safety required

[arethuza]

I red the KSR Mars trilogy and then pretty much developed a love affair with Mars and the idea of colonization - I'm also very fond of "The Case for Mars":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Case_for_Mars

NB I'm clear this is an emotional thing for me (hence "love affair") but I wonder to what extent all migrations in human history have been driven by a degree of wanderlust rather than cold logic.

Anyway - I'm off to watch Erik Wernquist's Wanderers again:

https://vimeo.com/108650530