Everyone loves a good science fiction film where heroes set forth boldly to battle asteroids, comets, aliens or The Borg. On the anniversary of our first steps upon the moon, it’s easy to fall into that old longing for adventure, heroism and exploration. But should we be pushing for a manned mission to Mars rather than further robotic explorations? Or even a permanent manned base on the moon? That’s the subject of my column this week at Pajamas Media, where I discuss the incredible risks we undertook in the first lunar missions and the costs vs. benefits of a manned mission to Mars today. Read, enjoy, sneer and/or comment as you see fit.