Space Islands vs Mars

From: spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Matt Gallimore

> Water, like an atmosphere and magnetic field, can make an outpost
> on Mars technologically more feasible. Or, rather, it makes the
> environment more forgiving. Does that change the economics?

This is an extremely important point and it is not well understood. >;)

So many Mars advocates, when they insist that colonies on Mars will
happen way, way before anybody ever even thinks about building a colony
in Earth orbit are looking at it from a single standpoint: Which
environment presents the greatest technological challenges to
life-support requirements. But this viewpoint ignores economics, which
suggests that the first colonies beyond the Earth will be built in
support of the earliest economic opportunities beyond Earth. One should
expect these opportunities to begin with products or services marketable
to Earth, since that's the situation we start with.

Regards,

Mike Combs