Perhaps the best motivation for going to Mars is political. It is obvious that no single nation currently has either the will or the resources to do it alone but a consortium of nations and space agencies could achieve it within 20 years.
To expect alien technology to be just a few decades ahead of ours is too...
But the wicked passions of men's hearts alone seem strong enough to leave...
Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
