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A comment on Journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration [pdf]. Parent comment

Re:Journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Explorati... by ForHackernews on Friday October 09, 2015 @02:13PM (#10362189)
> When thinking of colonizing a new planet, is there any information about who will control the resources of the colony? Will the USA control Martian resources if we get there first or will it be a collaborative effort like the Space Station?

Once they're self-sustaining, I'd say the Martians will control Martian resources. Good freaking luck trying to exert power over people several light-minutes away.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Explorati... by nomailing on Friday October 09, 2015 @03:51PM (#10362839)
Yes. Also, if several nations have colonies on Mars, I would assume that they would all claim independence roughly at the same time and soon after would form some kind of pan-martian government.

It just makes more sense to increase collaborations between colonies if you are so far away from earth. If there would be a US colony on Mars and a Chinese colony on Mars, these people would probably have more interactions with each other than with any person or nation on earth. There are huge advantages of exchange of goods between colonies, so that not every colony has to produce every special item or mine every kind of resource.

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