Part 6/13:
A trip to Mars would require about nine months, a journey complicated by planetary alignments. Launch windows are only available every few years, and a round-trip would take 3 to 5 years, making the venture a significant logistical and financial challenge. The question then becomes: why do it?
For individuals like Elon Musk, Mars represents a legacy and a personal dream of exploration—"I want to die on Mars," he has famously stated. However, from a practical standpoint, such a mission is more about vanity and vision than immediate economic viability. Elon Musk's rockets, such as SpaceX's Starship, could facilitate Mars travel, but ultimately, space agencies or private ventures rely heavily on government support and taxpayer funding.