Matt Casey wrote:
Return to the Moon and colonize it, go to Mars, colonize it, go
to the other planets in the Solar System, and go to the stars?

No. We (the human race collectively) are too selfish, lazy and short-sighted
to do so. There will be dreamers who will get short spurts of attention from
governments who will use them for short-term agendas (e.g. Apollo as part of
the cold war with the USSR) but as we have seen, there is no long-term
interest in space exploration. Today the only interest in the space program
is self-interest: the contractors (and their employees) who get the NASA
contracts and the employees who make up the standing armies. Those who hold
the strings to purses large enough to pay for space exploration, typicly
governments, are preoccupied by spending that money on other things.

We will have dreamers like Musk and Bigelow who can spend their own money, but
I doubt that they have the financing to colonize. If some material is found
on the moon or an asteroid that they can sell at a profit, it will help bring
in either money or interest. But, ultimately, there has to be something to
exploit back here on Earth.

Not long ago I read a commentary saying that the "star trek generation" was
supposed to grow up and get elected to congress where they would support NASA.
But that didn't happen.

The only way that we (humans) can travel to the stars is by sending our DNA.
The conditions are too hostile and the trips too long for us to go there as
whole beings.

Cynicly,
Glen Overby