The Moon is a Harsh Mistress ...Another early sci-fi favorite.
Out of atomosphere is not only harsh, it is harshly mutagenic, too, it seems! You can't even be dirt side anywhere. Have to have dirt shelter. Oh, it can and will be done, I believe. We just about know how.
The idea of remote return fuel production plants hasn't been tried, even on a tiny scale, yet.
The Red Mars series about terraforming opened my eyes. People and politics.
They had a space elevator beanstalk more than once....well, I won't spoil the story.