The way I see it, there's three outcomes to a goal like this:
1. Humans never go to Mars
2. Humans eventually decide it's interesting enough to go to Mars out of curiosity and find a way to get there
3. Earth looks doomed, but there's a slim shot at saving humanity by sending some people to Mars
I'm kind of disappointed there isn't more interest in something like this. Let me ask you all something. If someone in 1960 told someone else "I bet we'll have a man on the moon before the decade is over", what do you think the reaction would be?
It's not a lack of capability that's keeping us from getting to Mars; it's that people just don't care enough.
1. Humans never go to Mars
2. Humans eventually decide it's interesting enough to go to Mars out of curiosity and find a way to get there
3. Earth looks doomed, but there's a slim shot at saving humanity by sending some people to Mars
I'm kind of disappointed there isn't more interest in something like this. Let me ask you all something. If someone in 1960 told someone else "I bet we'll have a man on the moon before the decade is over", what do you think the reaction would be?
It's not a lack of capability that's keeping us from getting to Mars; it's that people just don't care enough.