Should you go to Mars? ft Bill Nye

You mention 2 billion dollars as the cost of a rover.  10 times that or 100 times that is the cost of humans going to Mars.  Much more to the point,, 80% or 90% of your budget is the cost of the return from Mars.  It is FAR cheaper to get there.  Far cheaper to stay there.  And far safer to stay there than to return to Earth.  Especially for the first explorers.  Send supplies and habitats in advance.  Preposition them on the ground or in orbit.  Everything ready?  Then send the scientists and explorers.  SEND older people, send masons and scientists. Stay there.  It is far safer to stay than to return.  Can Mars kill you?  Absolutely.  But a crashed spaceship can do it even quicker.   Some of the "Mars to stay"  calculations preceded SpaceX.  SpaceX has shown an ability for rocket reuse, that never existed before.  Bezos and Musk have shown rocket engines that can be relit and reflown.  Returns may be possible,, even economical.  But,, the first rockets will not be landing on a drone ship or a concrete pad.  Bouncing rocks kicked up by a landing are likely to cause problems.  The first rocket should carry landing pad and material to build a pad first?