Mars: Inside the High-Risk, High-Stakes Race to the Red Planet
<p><pre><code>  Suggesting that humans might find refuge on Mars after 
  messing up Earth is “ethically and technically absurd,” says 
  McKay. “I think we need to take the view that failure is not 
  an option. The notion of Mars as a lifeboat makes the Titanic 
  look like a happy ending.”
</code></pre>
Much as I admire Musk&#x27;s drive to not only explore but colonize Mars, I have to agree with this sentiment. Viewing Mars as a &quot;backup&quot; for Earth is like relying on the Commodore 64 in your closet as a backup in case your MacBook Pro gets fried.