Preface. There are so many difficulties to overcome to colonize Mars. If the astronauts can even survive the bombardment of radiation on the way there.
Where would the energy come from? There is no flowing water for hydropower. Wind and solar have many issues, let alone the cost of flying them there or building them on mars with new factories powered by? There are some hopium proposals for Martian wind power, but to make use of the ultra thin atmosphere the turbines would have to be huge. Geothermal energy, where heat is drawn from deep underground, won’t work on the geologically quiet Moon. It might work on Mars, but would be another enormous on-site construction project, and the best locations for geothermal power may not be the best locations for an early Mars habitat. Solar won’t work because space dust will clog the panels. Nuclear power may explode in a giant Ka-Boom!
Preface. Much of this post is based on Miriam Pemberton’s 2023 book “Six Stops on the National Security Tour”. Large sections of the book are about why past attempts to cash in on the ending of the cold War since 1991 or even before that didn’t work out. She proposes that military funding should be diverted now to prevent the climate crisis to set up companies to build electric vehicles, wind turbines and more.
