Part 2/10:
Tyson questions the fundamental motivation behind traveling to Mars, cynically asking whether there are valuable resources like oil wells or diamond mines there. His stance is clear: “We’re not going to Mars. We’re just not,” unless geopolitical tensions—like China establishing military bases—make it unavoidable. He estimates that even the quickest mission would require a mere ten months, with one month for design, build, and funding, and nine months to reach the Red Planet.