Colonizing Mars during this century seems so braindead to me. There are lots of issues, such as:
-Lack of substantial life support resources- it would be difficult to make oxygen or water from the elements on Mars.
-High surface radiation levels mean structures need to be underground
-It takes a very long time to shuttle supplies between Earth and Mars, and it would be unfathomably expensive.
-The tendency for humans to lose their minds in isolation means we need to use robots, develop “hypersleep”, or build an elaborate and expensive base to keep humans entertained.
-The red planet is hostile to electronics. There are miles and miles of dust to clog up devices, and high wind speeds could damage above ground structures. Wind+dust=static, which is the arch nemesis of computer technology.
Let’s start with solving climate change, living on the moon, or mining asteroids and see how it goes.