Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking. Login or Take a Tour!
Cost is the reason. If we thought that going to Mars would prevent terrorist attacks, then we would spend what was necessary. Cold War fear is what funded the moon landings. Only private efforts have the chance of working down the costs. If we are lucky, Space X et al. will bring the costs down to a place where Nasa can justify pulling it together; their ISS contracts are paying for Space X, after all.