Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has voiced strong skepticism about Elon Musk’s vision for making humanity “interplanetary” by establishing a city on Mars. In a recent conversation with Bill Maher, Tyson dismissed Musk’s ambition, arguing that it would only happen if governments see it as a geopolitical necessity. He further questioned the practicality of such an endeavor, noting that the massive cost — potentially $1 trillion and the likelihood of fatalities make it a poor investment for venture capitalists.
Tyson’s criticism echoed Maher’s long-standing point about the challenges of leaving Earth, given its dire state, only to colonize a hostile planet. Maher quipped, “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?” Tyson enthusiastically agreed with this sentiment, dismissing the notion of Mars colonization as a misguided focus.
Musk, predictably, fired back on X, defending his Mars plan as essential for the “long-term survival of consciousness” and expressing frustration with Tyson’s critique. He dismissed the idea of seeking venture capital funding, saying it would be a poor investment and instead, Musk is “gathering resources” independently.
This isn’t the first time Tyson and Musk have clashed. Earlier this year, Tyson criticized SpaceX’s achievements, suggesting the company hadn’t done anything that NASA hadn’t already accomplished. Although he later walked back his comments, Tyson acknowledged SpaceX’s significant engineering advances, particularly with reusable rocket technology, offering his well-wishes for future missions.