I so hope this new private space program endorsed by NASA really works. I find it rather embarrassing that we have to rely on Russia to get our astronauts to the ISS for the nest four years or so.
I don't mind which way we go really, I have nothing in particular against Mother Russia
...I would prefer a multinational approach and private business sharing the task.
As for the Moon plan, I am all for it too. Closer, less expensive, and still possesses valuable mineral and water resources.
Cool...and of course the potential for solar energy generation...the Moon makes for an ideal solar collector.
Assuming it's among the stars, then yes.
Where else?
Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't it have to do with Mars' highly eccentric orbit and presence of dry ice on its poles?
Well the reason for Mars's tenuous atmosphere is because it has been stripped away by the relentless solar wind (particles of charged matter ejected by the sun) for millions of years, on Earth our magnetosphere protects our atmosphere by deflecting away these charged particles.
Mars lacks a magnetosphere because it's core has solidified (cooled) and unlike our dynamic molten outer/solid inner iron core cannot generate a magnetic field.
This means that A If we want to restore Mars's atmosphere then we will need to perpeptually counter this loss as well. B There is no magnetosphere to deflect incoming charged particles, meaning biological life upon Mars will be constantly irradiated much like it would be on the Moon...constraining the duration of human exploration upon the surface and limiting biological experiments...like growing plant life on Mars.
Thirdly (I forgot to mention) because Mars is geologically dead, no tectonic activity and thus no highly vital carbon cycle the ecosystem of Mars would become rapidly carbon toxic....there is no tectonic subduction and thus no cyclic conveyance of Carbon within the mantle and atmosphere.
However there are solutions to all these problems.
