Who cares if it's a long term undertaking? The people capable of bringing about something. So miraculous won't be looking to achieve it all or see the fruits of their labor in their lifetime - a start contrast to the 12-30 month timelines that most modern software projects follow..

I didn't mean "special" in a practical way but in a "spiritual" (for lack of a better term, not necessarily tied to religion) one.

We have no chance of achieving that if we keep on endlessly postponing each step towards it. And as far as rocky space dots go, Mars looks incredibly close to Earth.