Interplanetary colonization may, in one sense, be harder than interstellar colonization. A civilization able to cross between stars has already solved propulsion and endurance problems so large that travel within one stellar system becomes comparatively easy. The first Mars settlements must instead work with immature technology and worlds that are not already habitable. Their central logistical challenge is the early transport network that must be built before far-future travel becomes routine.
Notable Point · 12:13-13:42
Interplanetary colonization is the harder first step
The first settlements within a solar system may be harder to organize than fictional interstellar colonies because early travelers lack the technology that makes stellar distances routine.