Establishing long-term presence beyond Earth is now firmly viewed as the collective goal for humanity, some even believe it to be the only way to ensure our survival. The moon and Mars are thought to be the most exciting destinations thought to be within reach. The cost of access to space has significantly lowered since the 1950s, bringing the tantalizing dream of human space settlement closer to reality now than it was ever before. But there are many first-order questions about becoming multiplanetary we haven’t explored yet, like having space kids, building space farms and creating space nations in a peaceful way, according to authors Kelly and Zach Weinersmith. In their riveting new book, "A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through?" (Penguin Press, 2023), the Weinersmiths analyze many questions and challenges about human space settlement by blending science, psychology, law and perhaps what makes the book a surprisingly easy read — humor.
