If you want to start a new venture you do it where you can minimize the costs and risks while maximizing the chances of success. If you want to mine gold or oil you go where the deposits are not set up shop close to home just because its close. Contrary to the seemingly obvious being just days away does not reduce the risk of repeating the launch, return, and engine start failures responsible for the majority of astronaut fatalities. It does not reduce the risk of decompression in your habitat or the risk of low gravity and radiation exposure (except of course by a greater degree of control over exposure time). A multiyear stay on the Moon has similar risks to a multiyear stay on Mars and the overall risk per trip is similar due to where the primary risks are. Mars has more risks in transit, but probably much less risk from low gravity. We don't know for sure because partial gravity research has been glaringly overlooked by NASA.

Don't know why the first attempt didn't thread.

Regards,
Mark