Part 3/10:
He emphasizes that NASA, despite claims, currently lacks a rocket capable of reaching Mars efficiently. Moreover, he points out that Elon Musk’s reusable Starship isn’t a business venture designed to turn a profit from Martian settlement, but rather a “vanity project,” largely driven by Elon’s personal ambitions rather than financial incentives.
Tyson’s skepticism extends to the economic case, noting that sending people to Mars could cost upwards of a trillion dollars. He argues that without an existing trading or resource extraction infrastructure—like rich mines or farming—such a venture would be economically unsustainable. The absence of existing trade or resource value makes the entire endeavor appear speculative and unlikely to justify such enormous costs.