Difficulties
The lack of any substantial atmosphere, close proximity to the Sun and long solar days (176 Earth days) would (to put it mildly) all lead to significant challenges for any future human settlement to the point of impossibility. Outside of the possibility of ice at the poles, it is unlikely any of the elements needed for life exist on the planet. These would have to be imported.
Mercury is also deep in the Sun's gravitational potential well, requiring a larger velocity change (delta V) to travel to and from Mercury than is needed for other planets, although, in the past, gravity assist orbits using Venus have been used to reach Mercury. However, entering orbit around Mercury and landing on the surface would take 6 years with current propulsion methods. Solar sails and mass drivers may assist in transportation in the future, but are not viable options at present.
Read more about this topic: Colonization Of Mercury
Famous quotes containing the word difficulties:
“Let us consider that we are all partially insane. It will explain us to each other; it will unriddle many riddles; it will make clear and simple many things which are involved in haunting and harassing difficulties and obscurities now.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)
“So far as my experience goes, travelers generally exaggerate the difficulties of the way. Like most evil, the difficulty is imaginary; for what’s the hurry?”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“All human beings hang by a thread, an abyss may open under their feet at any moment, and yet they have to go and invent all sorts of difficulties for themselves and spoil their lives.”
—Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev (1818–1883)