[sammyg2]

I could not care less about going to mars.

Mars is a big desolate rock. If we want to go someplace like that we can go to the desert and save billions.
The only people really pushing for mars are the people who will benefit financially from that endeavor.
The moon missions at least had a purpose. Outspend the soviets during the cold war and bankrupt them. It worked, eventually. But what is the purpose of going to Mars? We will not learn anything important, we will not gain anything, all we will do is spend a great deal of money on a modern public works program, a disguised welfare program.
I say forget mars, it's a waste of time and money.