"I don't see it happening until governments judge that it's geopolitically in our interest," deGrasse Tyson told Maher, as quoted by The Hill. "But I believe president-elect Trump has some interest in Mars, so you might have another conversation in a couple of months." This indicates that Tyson believes space colonization will rely on political will and practical interests rather than sheer ambition or vision alone.
Tyson argued that going to Mars was a terrible value proposition to venture capitalists, charging that it would lead to people dying, cost "$1 trillion," and have zero return on investment. "That's a five-minute meeting," he said. "And it doesn't happen." This underscores his skepticism about the feasibility and financial justification for Martian colonization.
"How badly would we have to ratfuck Earth before it's worse than a place that's 200 below zero with no air and no water with six months to reach it?!" Maher argued. This illustrates the strong criticisms of abandoning urgent Earthly issues in favor of dreamlike scenarios on Mars.
"Mars is critical to the long-term survival of consciousness," Musk tweeted. "Also, I'm not going to ask any venture capitalists for money. I realize that it makes no sense as an investment." Musk's defense of the Mars initiative highlights his ambition but reveals a disconnect with the financial realities of space exploration.
Collection
[
|
...
]