It's not zero gravity, or strange planets, or the opportunity for a national fireworks display.
The correct answer is: an opportunity to vote with your feet. Freedom is the wealth in space.
Don't expect a government project to increase freedom, except by accident.
That's ironic--in outer space, room equals freedom. What about here on Earth?
LOL.
Whenever I suggest America stop immigration because the crowding is taking away our freedom, there's always some poster out there that quotes Limbaugh's howler about how the entire population of planet earth can fit in Texas with room to spare.
Freedom is vast green areas, clean bodies of water and fresh air from blue skies--not blackness and an oxygen mask and the slavery needed to maintain a glass bubble over your neighborhood (it's bad enough when your neighbors make you mow your lawn--I sure don't like the idea of doing windows in some monstrous geodesic domed space greenhouse).
Instead of colonizing Mars, it's better to simply stop immigration.
Then we'd have plenty of room here in America.