During a Friday night appearance on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, Neil deGrasse Tyson expressed doubts about the feasibility of Elon Musk’s vision for space travel to Mars. In his discussion with Donna Brazile and Andrew Young, Tyson argued that such a mission would only become realistic once governments deem it a geopolitical necessity.
He further remarked, “At some point, somebody has to pay for it, and just being interested in something is not the same thing as paying for it,” while suggesting that President-elect Trump’s potential interest in Mars might lead to further discussions in the near future.
Elon Musk responds fiercely to Tyson’s skepticism, insisting a Mars mission is crucial for humanity’s future
In response, Musk challenged Tyson’s perspective, asserting that a Mars mission could be pivotal not only for national interests but for humanity’s survival. On X (formerly Twitter), Musk wrote, “Wow, they really don’t get it. Mars is critical to the long-term survival of consciousness.”
Musk also addressed Tyson’s claim that venture capitalists would not back such a mission, stating, “I’m not going to ask any venture capitalists for money. I realize that it makes no sense as an investment. That’s why I’m gathering resources.”
SpaceX has been a key partner to NASA for years, with the company holding a $3.6 billion contract with the agency and an $11.8 billion agreement with the Department of Defense over the past decade, according to The New York Times.
Earlier this year, Musk stated that his Starship project to Mars was aimed at making life “multiplanetary,” and he emphasized that the Department of Government Efficiency, co-led with Vivek Ramaswamy, is the “only path to extending life beyond Earth.”
