If we want to go to Mars then we need to look at the space program entirely differently. Right now we have the problem that NASA is involved in both exploration and in science. The cost/benefit analysis of human vs. unmanned missions for science is clear: it's always better to send the robot. For the price of Apollo without the astronauts, we could have found out a ridiculous amount of information.

Of course, science is not the reason for sending humans into the great beyond. Rather, there's a separate exploratory spirit that is fed by such trips. It may be worthwhile to engage in such activities, but we need to be clear why we are doing it. It is not because of science; it is because of our own human desire. Once we decide that Mars is where we want to go, nothing will stop us. However, we haven't come to that consensus yet as a society. It is up to those who are gung-ho to convince the rest of us to tap into our "wonder" emotions and get us excited about sending people to Mars.

My feeling? If we're going to send people to Mars I want them to stay. For the price of the Apollo program we could send 8 people to Mars with the intention of having them start a colony. It would be a tremendous investment, but given enough time we would see a return on it. Unfortunately, I think that such an idea would not have very many supporters as it might be viewed as throwing money away. It is a big risk, but sometimes the big risks have the biggest gains.