True that. Colonizing would be risky, but out of a billion or so people you ought to be able to find a few hundred that are competent and willing to take on the risk.

A common strategy for Mars missions is to send the supplies there first. You can land habitats, vehicles, food stores, water-producing machines, power plants (and the return vehicle, if we're not talking about one-way missions), and check on them via radio before your crew ever takes off.