I'm perpetually astonished that all the Mars colony fanboys fail to notice that there is no economic way to support a Mars colony. Sure, one or two scientific expeditions may eke out a year or two before their members return to Earth and are hospitalized, but the idea of a self-sustaining colony is a total non-starter - even if people could be persuaded that it's a smart & stable genius idea to live as troglodytes for the rest of their miserable lives.

In the real world, the laws of economics are unavoidable in all but the shortest of terms. Overhyped stocks collapse in value, overhyped technologies vanish, and any cult, collective, or colony that can't self-sustain indefinitely likewise vanishes without trace. This is why there never will be any meaningful Mars colony, and why it's most certainly not a backup plan of any kind - not even as a billionaire's panic room.