On Sat, 23 May 2009 12:34:53 -0700, Quadibloc wrote:

Mars is indeed an attractive place to consider building a space colony.
Its thin - but not virtually nonexistent - atmosphere, though,
complicates landing on it. And while it has most of the elements needed
for permanent habitation, nitrogen is in very short supply.

Mars has a 0.6 to 1.0 kPa atmosphere, 2.7% of which is nitrogen.
Certainly not earth like, but not a lot of nitrogen is needed, and it can
be "recycled" once gathered from the Martian atmosphere.

The Martian atmosphere aids, not complicates, landing on the surface of
Mars. Aero-braking and all that.

One body in our Solar System that has water ice, methane, and ammonia in
abundance, as well as rock, is the former planet Pluto. Since it is no
longer called a planet, though, it will be psychologically perceived as
less important.

Of course, Pluto is so far away that we will first have to perfect
life-support in space by attaining Mars.

Please tell me this is dry humor and you're not serious.