Astrophysicist Neil Tyson believes Elon Musk cannot send people to Mars; World's richest person reacts

World's richest man Elon Musk and Astrophysicist Neil de Grasse Tyson have clashed once again over SpaceX owner's dream of starting civilisation on Mars.

In an interview with American talk show host Bill Maher, Tyson discussed the feasibility of traveling to Mars, stating that investors would never support the idea due to its lack of return on investment. While Elon Musk has long argued that Mars colonization is essential for humanity's survival, Tyson believes that humanity should focus on addressing immediate challenges on Earth rather than investing resources in space exploration.




During the interview, Maher asked Tyson about the timeline for SpaxeX mission of starting life on Mars.

Tyson, who hosted the TV series Cosmos said "My read of the history of space exploration is such that we do big, expensive things only when it's geopolitically expedient, such as we feel threatened by an enemy."

"And so for him to just say, let's go to Mars because it's the next thing to do. What is that venture capitalist meeting look like? 'So, Elon, what do you want to do?' 'I want to go to Mars?' 'How much will it cost?' '$1 trillion.' 'Is it safe?' 'No. People will probably die.' 'What's the return on the investment?' 'Nothing.' That's a five-minute meeting. And it doesn't happen," he added.

How did Elon Musk react?

After the video of Mr Tyson's monologue went viral, the Tesla CEO took to X (formerly Twitter) and issued a response.

"Wow, they really don't get it. Mars is critical to the long-term survival of consciousness. Also, I'm not going to ask any venture capitalists for money. I realise that it makes no sense as an investment. That's why I'm gathering resources," said Mr Musk.

His attack on Tyson did not end there. He went on to add that the Astrophysicist has started catering to the