But Columbus didn’t embark on that voyage without the ability to return, or the intent of leaving those 39 men to fend for themselves indefinitely.
Colonists on even a minimal one-way trip to Mars will likely arrive better prepared for the environment than the colonists who arrived here in Manitoba.
At least they didn’t have to bring their own oxygen or water to Manitoba. I’d be more apt to believe that we have the technological capability to found a self-sustaining colony on Mars if we first demonstrated the ability to do so in Antarctica.
