A newly formed company in Cambridge Mass., 4Frontiers Corp. aims its sights at the red planet.
The story HERE
My opinion is 'Why bother?' If they're not out of their minds now certainly a couple of years cooped up in a space colony on Mars would do the trick. With so many in need around the globe now, projects like this really make me wonder about some people's priorities. Smells like an investment scam of sorts too.

"With so many in need around the globe now, projects like this really make me wonder about some people's priorities.":
I can certainly understand your viewpoint, but consider this. As technology progresses, so too does the general standard of living. Look at what something as mundane as concrete has done for us. Improved quality of urbanized areas (for living, transportation, stability, etc), created stronger buildings and roads, shielded entire cities from the ocean in the forms of dams and channels. The assembly line brought just about anything man-made you could think of to the masses at rates even the lower-class could afford. X-Ray technology has allowed us to quickly and accurately evaluate damaged bone and other internal problems not easily solved without precise knowledge of the ailment. And many more things as well have benefited even the poor and needy. There was a time when thousands would die of even a simple infection. Today, even a homeless man can get aid from an emergency room if he is in great need. We don't know what knew technologies will be invented out of necessity for a Mars mission, or a space station, or underwater dwellings, but one of the MANY new innovations could be the new "penicillin", or "pastorization" of our day. Or if it isn't, it could someday very soon be a key factor in such an important invention's creation. I'll always be for the advancement of science, because to ignore it and focus everything we have on TODAY's needy would be hindering the process of creation for useful future wonders and tools. I strongly agree with helping those in need, but I also agree with bettering ourselves for the good of all who will come after us.

I think that it would be a waste. The government has to spend enough money, without having to spend so much on sending oxygen to Mars, and build stable gravitation things to keep things stabilized.

And I don't want my tax dollars paying for some people to get to Mars.

Its a good idea to colonize Mars ! as anyone knows putting all your eggs in one basket is a bad idea ! Think of it this way if a giant asteroid hits the earth or a comit... Humanity could potentialy be wiped out in a single disaster. Now if we live on Mars and Earth no such thing could happen (baring of course a solar based disaster) I do how ever think more research needs to put into FTL drives before we start investing in Mars now. I think it would be much cheaper if we could get there from low earth orbit in a few hours versus a few weeks at the fastest we could do now.

The main issue isn't the cost of getting there, it's the cost of making mars habitable.
And 20 years for tech to make it much more cheaper is almost unrealistic.

EDIT: An asteroid and comet hitting the earth like that are against my religious principles. Other than that, I have little to say about that.

I'm not sure what you mean there, care to explain?
Anyway, I think making mars habitable is indeed nice. What I don't like about it is the idea that our dear earth might become obsolete. And if it does, I'm pretty sure we'll be stupid enough to waste it entirely, and begin all over again on another planet. I know it sounds a little far-fetched, but I feel like we're slowly becoming some sort of cosmic colonists.

People have saying we will colonize mars in 20 years for over 60 years now. I suppose it is possable with limitless resources, however the several trillion dollar bill may deter possable sponcers.

The Moon, Mars, and more. It WILL happen.

Space exploration is no longer a government-only endeavor:
http://www.bodog.com/press-releases/2006/0...efore-space.jsp

The next expansion is beginning. Manifest Destiny anew. And it will come from the pockets of gamblers, buisinessmen, and eccentric individuals, not tax-payers. The X-Prize, personal expeditions, and now an orbital casino: real people with real money will mean real results. Treating space like a business opportunity means deadlines will now become far more accurate. Watch for it. It is happenning in our lifetimes.

Just like they've been saying Jesus will come in our lifetime for at least 200 years.

What does Jesus' second coming have to do with space colonization?

You were saying that Mars colonization is coming in our lifetime. I said yeah, just like they've been saying Jesus will come in our lifetime for the last 200 years.

OK... completely inappropriate comparison there. The second coming of Jesus, if you believe in it, is something that no man could ever predict, and something with no scientific basis. It is entirely up to God, again assume you believe in alll this. Additionally, according to Revelations the second coming won't happen until the anti-christ rules on Earth (meaning rules THE Earth... global government), and frankly (despite the crappy political events that have happened so far) I just don't think that's occured yet.

Space exploration and technologies therein ARE something with a scientific basis. I was stating that despite previous deadlines set by old government administrations being completely unrealistic (due to unstable funding), this new breed of space explorer (in the private sector) will be much more stable, and much more accurate with their predicted deadlines, because they are using their own money to accomplish all of this. And I don't know about any of you, but most businesses like to see results pretty close to on-time when they're dumping tons of money into a project.

Any man who claims to know when the second coming or the end of days will occur is either a fool or a lier. And to claim that ANYTHING is impossible because of your faith makes you arrogant and foolish as well. For all we know, the end could come as a giant astroid strike, or we could be meant to colonize other worlds because the end of days will come sometime AFTER an asteroid wipes out all life on Earth, and there need to be people still around for it to happen. The point is, we don't know, and we won't until it happens. We can't make ANY assumptions about the "Grand master plan", or we're simply being ignorant.

I base my statement on the fact that a great deal of advancements has occured in the field within the past decade that has not received a whole lot of press-coverage, all of which collectively suggests another exploration boom is coming to a head, this time into space. The rate of advancement, along with new rising business interests, all convincingly suggests that these things will happen within the next few decades (hopefully, if you're healthy, that's within your lifetime).

[Please note: I don't just "say stuff". When I make a statement, I try to back it up with information, so it can be clearly distinguished from "just my opinion". In a debate, this is paramount, as simply saying you disagree is pointless. You have every right to disagree, but please, explain WHY! Who knows, you may be right, and I may learn something new if you actually provide the rest of us with the reasoning behind your thought, but to simply say "No! You're wrong, and that's that" is both frustrating and unproductive.]

I never said it is impossible. There is a different between impossible and not-going-to-happen. It is possible for me to put an electromagnet up to my computer. Is that going to happen? No way! This "grand master plan" as you say, is stated a little bit. If an asteroid kill the earthm how is the sign of god's final coming with the crimson moon and dying sun? And from the perspective of mars? Is there some new weird translation that says the new heaven and new mars? From your statement: how is the anti-christ supposed to rule the earth if there's nothing there to rule?

Sorry, but my my interpretation of the bible is a literal (not to be mistaked with liberal) view.

How plausible (I never said possible) is it for NASA, or any space place, to (a) go through all the steps to make mars habitable ( bring materials in which we can live there, © test it with soemspace experts, and (d) finally colonize it?

(a) they're trying to do this now. Bringing oxygen to mars. This will presently work, but unless you make the atmosphere somehow capture it, permanent colonization on mars in not very likely. Also making water sources, etc.
(b)Shelter, other common human life applications © Pah! they said they promised to do this in July 2005. Have they? Nope.
Will they? Maybe, not very soon, especially the way their working now. (d) This is probably the longest step. Who really wants to go to mars? Well, true, lot's of people. But I don't want to be dragged in the ship and go to this planet that might not even be habitable, despite NASA (and other stations) claims.

And how many years will it take to do all that? Decades? Yeah, like maybe 11 or twelve...

"If an asteroid kill the earthm how is the sign of god's final coming with the crimson moon and dying sun?"
Well, "crimson moon" could have been a primative way of describing Mars. "dying sun" could describe the Earth as it burns and dies after being decimated by a massive asteroid. Hell, it doesn't even specify WHICH moon.... (or even which sun!)

"From your statement: how is the anti-christ supposed to rule the earth if there's nothing there to rule?"
Whose to say that an asteroid won't come AFTER the global rule of the anti-christ?

These are all moot points anyway, because the book of Revalations is a WARNING, not an INEVITABILITY.

All religious beliefs aside (I would love to debate religion with you, but personal beliefs have no basis in science and therefor have no place in a scientific discussion. For that you would need to start a new thread), I feel I should apologize for not being clear in my previous statements. What I had meant by "Mars will happen in our lifetimes" is that we will GET to Mars within our lifetimes. I am still undecided as of yet whether or not we will be able to successfully colonize (either by seeding the atmosphere, or simply building air-tight structures containing breathable atmosphere) the red planet in that time-frame. We may not get that far in the next 50-70 years, or we may have an incredible scientific break-through and actually go beyond Mars... who knows at this point.

Making Mars livable isn't really that big of a problem. The biggest challenge currently facing a Mars mission now is shielding astronauts from cosmic and solar radiation as they are in flight. There are a series of creative methods already being considered for protecting them (magnetic fields, electromagnetic shields, static shields, large tanks of water surrounding crew quarters, etc), all with promise, but each with its own unique flaw.

I am sorry, but that seems a bit vague.
I'm not sure I can accept interpretation that way.

All of God's word is inevitable. True, it's a warning. But if God promises the happening...well, when has God broken a promise?

No, I'm not saying the traveling to mars, being in Mars where you don't have to be in your space suit all the time.

Ah. Get to mars in out lifetimes.
Not colonize.
That seems more realistic.

I remember really believing it to happen in July 2005.

I just wanna say "Get your ass to Mars !!!" lol

wow, I never imagined this topic would carry on like this, all the way to from planitary colonization to the anti-crist, wow.