the reason for underground dwelling with minimal
enhancements for living,
is because of the radiation and the amount
of material it would take, if it's not underground.
it would be costly, and would accommodate far less.
underground as a temporary measure until
mining setup,
is i think is the way to go.
the thickness/construction material it would cost for individual
space,
it's better allocated elsewhere in more vital areas.
such as the biosphere.
which also can be hacked i believe with ready materials from Mars,
but as fusion.
so if anyone thinks my ideas are based on desire,
rather than need,
no. i don't think so.
even if laser mining isn't as effective,
there are other ways to enter into it, done so it requires less HR.
and obviously, resources aren't particularly limited.
a city made of metal, (mostly) by CNC would reduce the time to build
it by 100 times or more. Simplicity in all this.
Space escalator of course, will open passageway in different areas,
including using materials from Mars to create structures in orbit.
Phase 5 is.... not as practical as above, but plasibility is there
in the future......
If space escalator built here on Earth,
many would volunteer into Mars.
As they would have access back to Earth,
there's a guarantee.