NASA to return to Moon in the next 5 years

NASA plans to land men and women on the moon in the next five years. They have already learnt how to do this and have the technology. There is no reason why this cannot be achieved. After the next manned landings they intend to develop a permanent moon station.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-administrator-statement-on-return-to-moon-in-next-five-years

The moon landings will then be used as a staging post for landing on Mars and build a permanent human presence there.

I am all in favour of of human space exploration and scientific discovery. However, I am not in favour of "terra-forming" Mars to make the whole planet suitable for human occupation. This would be an intensely difficult if nigh on impossible task. Trying it and failing would do immense damage to the planet. Doing it and succeeding would also create immense damage. There is a strong possibility that life existed on Mars; if we contaminate the planet with earth microbes and fungal spores we will destroy any chance of discovering the evolutionary processes which lead to life on the red planet. If life still exists on Mars it is likely that human intervention will destroy any life that has a precarious existence on Mars.

Humans will find all sorts of excuses as to why we should establish a population on Mars.

We are busily setting about making our own planet uninhabitable, we may need to emigrate to a new one. I say fix our own planet before we consider emigrating to a new one. Why spoil another planet? If we fix our own planet then there is no need to go to Mars other than for scientific exploration.

Earth could be hit by an asteroid and be destroyed so we need an escape plan. Well, Mars is equally as likely to be hit by an asteroid and all our good works could be destroyed by a space rock. It might be more economic to develop a means of protecting ourselves from an asteroid hit.

Earth could become over populated and we will need to expand. The way things are going, we will voluntarily cull our population through climate change , pollution and the complete man-made erosion of our soil. It would be far better to maintain a sustainable population on our own planet.

The whole idea of "terra-forming" Mars is a mad and selfish venture. The only question is: when will it start?