Out of this world: Inside Japan's space colony center

Sorry, but this looks like such an outdated picture ... not very inspiring.

1) Another team is working on early detection and capture of space debris. More than 29,000 pieces measuring at least 10 centimeters across orbit Earth and could pose a danger to potential space colonists.

2) "We are not only developing the technology for a moon base but as a spin-off, we will be able to help many issues that we need to solve on Earth," she said. For example, she said hydroponic technology -- growing food without soil -- could be valuable in countries in parts of sub-Saharan Africa lacking natural resources and minerals.

Those 2 items are very important to save our planet, first of all. Can oppose destructive technology advanced in wrong ways. Space pioneering is still long range researches to find humanity longing. Building more space stations could be a better way to realize Silk Road in cosmic space. A long term living place between destinations adopting centrifugal force...A future to find legacy and never negative heritages we created in history.

Just think about Star Trek. But I never understood how their space ship Enterprise had gravity. Why didn't the characters float in space?

The Moon yes, maybe Ceres and some asteroids, as living underground would be expected and people wouldn't be able to live there for long. But not Mars. It's too far, Mars doesn't have a magnetosphere and the high levels of perchlorate in the soil is toxic. Europa might be better if the water layer is there.

Putting an artificial magnetic dipole at L2 in front of Mars is postulated in saving the Martian atmosphere from further erosion and should reduce the solar radiation making a Mars colony not longer a death sentence. That's kinda important.

You'd need a space station capable of giving normal gravity to humans outside of Earth. But that doesn't work properly because the gravity at the feet would be different than at the head. The scale of a station you'd need to make that work doesn't work. That's another reason to appreciate the Earth

Mars has many issues and we'll go there, yes,

but only to see that we should really be taking care of Earth better,

and realize just how precious it really is

sorry, make that Mars L1 Lagrange Point!

also if the tech for a space Sterling engine exists now, why not deploy it all across Japan?

Great to read that this sort of research is going on in Japan. Bravo.

IMO, it makes a lot more sense to make a lunar colony before trying to make a Mars colony. Earth's moon is less than a quarter million miles away, while Mars is 40 million miles away at its closest. The lessons learned and the facilities established on the moon could be useful in many ways, including going to Mars.

Human curiosity is good, but sometimes they go too far. Our planet is the best place to live in human. First, we need to cure disease called "Greedy". World wealthiest peoples do not invest in world poor countries in Africa. Peoples are still living in primitive condition (education and living standard) in most of the poorest African countries. They don't have enough foods and they don't modern technology to grow their own foods. The wealthy countries are giving aid money to corrupt Governments for to get natural resources from the countries. It's a same thing as giving bribes to a group of corrupt peoples. So that is the reason peoples from poorest African countries come to Europe and looking for good life. The Wealthy countries and world wealthiest peoples should invest in agriculture sectors and not only just in mining sector before thinking about colonize Moon and Mars.

Japan should be a leader in space but the political will is absent.

"My dream is to get a job as a flight attendant on a commercial spaceflight so I can help to get people to the moon," she said, laughing.

April fool?