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:
“Have you noticed when reading War and Peace the difficulties Tolstoy experienced in forcing morally wounded Bolkonsky to come into geographical and chronological contact with Natasha? It is very painful to watch the way the poor fellow is dragged and pushed and shoved in order to achieve this happy reunion.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)
“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)
“Our achievements speak for themselves. What we have to keep track of are our failures, discouragements, and doubts. We tend to forget the past difficulties, the many false starts, and the painful groping. We see our past achievements as the end result of a clean forward thrust, and our present difficulties as signs of decline and decay.”
—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)