Elon Musk's Mars Colony Plans Called 'Dangerous Illusion' by Astrophysicist Martin Rees

Royal Astronomer Professor Lord Martin Rees called Elon Musk's idea to colonize Mars a "dangerous illusion."

At a World Government Summit panel in Dubai, Lord Rees, who has been the astronomer royal since 1995, ridiculed the publicity-seeking billionaire's ambitions.

Musk has long advocated for the colonization of Mars, and a flurry of tweets in November confirmed his desire to pursue it.

On the other hand, leading scientist Lord Rees has thrown a wrench in the works of SpaceX creator Elon Musk, calling the possible colonization a "dangerous illusion" and making David Bowie's song "Life On Mars" a lot less enjoyable.

Scientists Call Elon Musk 'Delusional' Over Mars Plan

Musk's concept didn't impress the leading astronomer and Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Musk has stated on Twitter that it is possible to build a self-sustaining settlement on Mars by 2050 if we start in five years and take ten orbital synchronizations.

According to Sky News, Lord Rees responded to this notion: "The only reason for humans to go to space would be for adventure. To live on Mars is not going to be easy. Mars has a hostile environment."

He went on to say that Elon Musk's plan to settle a million people on Mars is a "dangerous delusion." According to Lord Rees, the situation is no different than living at the South Pole or the summit of Mount Everest.

DeGrasse Tyson echoed this sentiment. He stated that transporting a billion people to another planet to assist them in surviving a disaster on Earth seemed unfeasible.

Muliplanetary Plans To Live On Mars

To prevent direct impacts from meteors and comets, Musk has previously emphasized the need for interstellar travel and the possibilities of colonizing other worlds.

Last November, the tech entrepreneur tweeted: "Earth has been and will be smashed super hard by meteors over time. Not a question of if, just when."

He went on to say that becoming multi-planetary is one of the best filters in another tweet. According to Musk, it is conceivable only now, 4.5 billion years after the Earth's formation.

However, it's unclear how long this opportunity to reach Mars will stay open. Maybe a long time, maybe not. If the latter is the case, Musk advises that everyone take action right now.

While Musk appears to be concerned about the situation, renowned scientists have emphasized the necessity of 'exploration' as the driving factor for space flight.

According to deGrasse Tyson, no force on Earth has the same influence on our ideas and desires as space exploration. He went on to say that half of what drives the future is thinking about it.

DeGrasse Tyson added that space will always be an inspiration for young people, and it is an area in which we must invest.

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