>>1763363>I think a stable moon base would be more usefulThan a colony? No way, a colony can do so much more than a research base can. Plus Mars has an atmosphere and gravity the moon does not which makes mars more suitable for long-term habitation. Also mars is a better stepping stone for the rest of the universe. It doesn't really matter though because starship is contracted for Artemis moon missions anyway which will lead to a base.
>honestly I do not fully understand musk's need to go there.NASA showed us that even with 50 years of deep space capabilities we wouldn't leave the planet if left to our own devices. Greed and corruption almost dissolved our human space program completely. Musk understands that the window of opportunity could close and getting a foundation started before his death is really the only way to guarantee that we will become multiplanetary.
>Ten yearsFor manned missions? Maybe if things go really wrong. But cargo missions should start much sooner than that.
