Question: would mars ever have people living on it and how long will they last?

Michele Faucci Giannelli answered on 10 Mar 2015:

Living on Mars will always be a big challenge. There is no air to breath and no protection from solar radiation. So probably living underground will be a must which will allow to have an pressurised environment to give air to breath. The meter or so of rocks will also protect from solar radiation. It is not impossible, the main challenge is actually to get enough material to Mars to get started. Once a large colony will get started it could probably last, especially if space trips will be cheaper and more frequent.