Elon Musk and Neil deGrasse Tyson reignited their ongoing debate over Mars colonization, with Tyson asserting that Musk’s ambitious vision lacks financial feasibility. Speaking to Bill Maher, Tyson questioned whether investors would back a trillion-dollar project with no guaranteed return, while Musk doubled down on Mars being critical for the survival of human consciousness.

Tyson argued that humanity should focus on solving Earth’s immediate challenges, claiming space exploration historically thrives only under geopolitical pressures. “What’s the ROI for Mars?” he quipped, suggesting Musk’s dream would be dismissed in a venture capitalist pitch.

In response, Musk took to X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing he’s not seeking investor funding and acknowledging the lack of short-term returns. Instead, he pointed to the long-term survival benefits of developing a self-sustaining Mars colony. Even if the goal isn’t achieved, he added, the pursuit would yield advanced technologies far surpassing current Earth-bound innovations.

SpaceX, meanwhile, continues to push forward, announcing plans for its first uncrewed Mars mission within two years, using the reusability of its Starship spacecraft to pave the way for Mars colonization.