Well, hello again. We see that humans are doing better against the racing virus that had created havoc all over your world. Still, you need to heed this warning. It is not over by a long shot. Like any virus, Covid-19 will evolve. Variants have already done a number on your country-states that celebrated their victories too prematurely and refuse to acknowledge the science of the virus and what it takes to defeat it.
Nevertheless, human progress has not come to a complete halt. Far from it. Your space programs are advancing despite the world not working together to get to the stars. So far, competitive pressure among governments and private companies have done enough to advance progress. Within your life time, you will like have the chance to leave earth on short trips, even to your single moon. But your sight is on another.
Mars.
It will be interesting to see what happens when bases and eventually colonies are established on Mars. Trust me, it will be difference than building orbital platforms like the International Space Station and the new Chinese station, Tiangong, and lunar bases.
Mars will be like when the Europeans raced across the Atlantic and established colonies in North and South America. It will be further away and the harsh reality of space will for the colonists to make many choices. Politics, economies, and even new social norms that will be vastly different from Earth.
And we are not even going as far as talking about Martians establishing their own United Colonies of Mars and declaring independence from Earth though that is something that will happen because those who push for establishing life on Mars will first be the rich and powerful on Earth who will have the resources to establish their new power base on the new red world.
These Lords of Mars will want to drive Martian development in a direction away from what Earth would want. And the large powerful countries with strong space programs along with billionaires will not allow that to happen so easily. They will want to maintain some control or give Earth enough time to jump ahead.
Have you thought of this scenario? This is the long game that would-be space travelers or potential colonists have not thought about.
Also think about how will the Lords of Mars try to increase exploration and R&D if there are only a few thousand or, potentially, a few million citizens versus Earth’s billions.
Who will prevail?
Pangeaverse 