Why Mars when we can go to the moon?

The thinking seems to be that there is a possibility that Mars might be able to sustain life and thus be colonized.

The moon is sooo 60’s. We’ve been there, done that.
And what janbb said.

Bold determination and blind defiance. It’s a good challenge and a crazy dream of colonization of a dead, poisonous, ultra cold wasteland.

Status?
Why go to the Moon as number umpteenth, when you can be number one to set foot on Mars.

How about the benefits of research and discovery? Pretty big payoff there.

We should go there because its next.

NASA astronauts are going to the moon again before they make concrete plans for Mars.

“We will collaborate with our commercial and international partners and establish sustainable exploration for the first time. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap – sending astronauts to Mars.” – Artemis Program

Because we can do (and are doing) both at once.

NASA says:

“NASA currently has three robotic spacecraft exploring the Moon — Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the twin ARTEMIS spacecraft (not to be confused with NASA’s new Artemis program to send astronauts back to the Moon).”

“Now NASA is gearing up to set up a permanent lunar presence on the Moon. The Artemis program will send the first woman and the next man to the Moon and develop a sustainable human presence on the Moon and set the stage for further human exploration at Mars.”

”The Mars Exploration Program studies Mars as a planetary system in order to understand the formation and early evolution of Mars as a planet, the history of geological processes that have shaped Mars through time, the potential for Mars to have hosted life, and the future exploration of Mars by humans. The strategy has evolved as we have learned more about Mars and as more questions have arisen. We have gone from “Follow the Water” to “Explore Habitability” to “Seek Signs of Life.” ”

The main reason is because Mars’ atmosphere has traces of water vapor and oxygen. As we all know, water and oxygen are the elixirs of our lives. So, humankind is exploring that planet, in the hope of finding another place where we can inhabit (and plunder of course). Scientifically though, the percentages of vapor and oxygen in Mars almost rule out the presence of sustainable levels of water on the planet….but we’re a hopeful species…so we continue to dream…!

Setting up a colony on the Moon would mean a 28 day cycle for a single day.
There is no atmosphere on the Moon.
Mars is much further away, but setting up a colony would be far easier.

We already went to the moon.

Well, I’m glad that the explorers didn’t ignore all of the islands around North America.

They think that there might be life on Mars.

Not comparable @SnipSnip. We can send robots back to the moon. Why risk human lives in returning to that barren, dusty rock?

^^^^ @Dutchess_III To which “barren, dusty rock” are you referring?

@zenvelo The moon, obviously.

I love the idea of traveling to space. I was nutty about space as kid, rushing home from school to watch Apollo splashdowns, and building Estes model rockets.

But right now I see it as a waste of money, when robotic probes can do so much more for less. Those resources would be better spent on a “moon shot” responses to climate change.

Oh oh.. finally a proper question. The moon exploration is all great and that, but Mars is a PLANET. Meaning, it’s geology and history and development was completely different from our moon. There is loads that can be learned by exploring both places, but they are totally unique in themselves, one being a moon and the other a planet. The end goal is to learn more about the history of the solar system and our own planet. When we look at the geology, geographics of Mars, we are learning about systems that occurred on another planet in our solar system and we can then relate that to the little blue marble we live on.

Humans always have the urge to go for bigger and farer. Even when I grew up I was first excited to roam around in my city limits but after sometime I was urging to go beyond my city limits. Same applies in the case of Moon I think. Moon is not so as exciting it was in the 70s now. Mars is the new Exciting destination. It will surely change in next 10 years.

Who wants to go to the moon?

Its boring.