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https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/63694132
So according to NASA humans could be living on the moon, for long periods of time, before the end of the decade. So from more or less nothing to (pre-) colonization in about seven (or eight) years then. At least the moon is closer then Mars, but you are probably still borked if something goes wrong.
"We're going to be sending people down to the surface and they're going to be living on that surface and doing science," Mr Hu said.
"It's really going to be very important for us to learn a little bit beyond our Earth's orbit and then do a big step when we go to Mars.
"And the Artemis missions enable us to have a sustainable platform and transportation system that allows us to learn how to operate in that deep space environment."
Big question then is -- if asked (or given the opportunity) would you go?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Immerman on Friday December 02 2022, @08:08PM
> you are probably still borked if something goes wrong.
I've seen it repeatedly, and I really don't get where this sentiment is coming from. On Mars, yeah, if anything goes wrong beyond your ability to deal with it locally, any help between months and years away. Even if you have a ship fully fueled and waiting to take you home, odds are you have to wait about a year before you can launch, and then another few months to get back to Earth. Even getting advice from Earth is likely to have a large portion of an hour round-trip lag, so you won't be able to have, e.g. medical experts on Earth talking the local doctors through an unusual operation.
On the Moon though, Earth is just a few days away, and that emergency return rocket is all but certain to be fueled and waiting. About the only problem that could possibly really bork you is a medical emergency beyond the ability of your on-sight doctor and medical facilities to deal with, even with real-time advice from a full team on Earth. And that's a pretty rare scenaro, especially assuming everyone has been screened for likely health problems ahead of time.
Worst case scenario, if an asteroid impact vaporized your habitat and all your supplies, you just climb into the escape rocket and return to Earth. No big deal. It's near enough that you don't even NEED water, without it you'll be severely dehydrated by the time you get back to Earth, but will almost certainly survive.
I'd absolutely go to the moon for a mission of less than a year, where do I sign? Beyond that I'd have to have a long think on the potential long-term health cost I'd have to pay from living in low gravity.
Compare that to Mars or an asteroid, where my answer would almost certainly be no way in hell (at least for the immediate future). There you're talking high risk of death and near-certainty of severe long term health problems just from the trip, even if nothing goes wrong.