---
title: "Neil deGrasse Tyson Seems Skeptical of Elon Musk’s Mars Plans"
description: "He won't be the first to take a SpaceX trip to Mars."
date: "2017-04-03"
modified: "2017-04-03"
authors:
  - name: "June Javelosa"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/javelosa-junegmail-com"
url: "https://futurism.com/neil-degrasse-tyson-seems-skeptical-of-elon-musks-mars-plans"
categories:
  - "Astronomy"
  - "Elon Musk"
  - "Future Society"
  - "Mars"
  - "Space"
  - "The Industrialists"
tags:
  - "elon musk"
  - "neil degrasse tyson"
  - "reddit ama"
  - "SpaceX"
---

# Neil deGrasse Tyson Seems Skeptical of Elon Musk’s Mars Plans

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Neil-Degrasse-Tyson.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/greyhawk68/375191766/in/photolist-z9Xry-z9WLQ-z9W6a-z9STs-z9TuZ-z9UHi-z9UiE-z9RkQ-z9QBc-z9PZ5-z9ShH-z9RX7-bBbNU5-nQTAL6-z9XG2-boKvkC-7EXGvH-nP97eo-nyG215-nQTAGZ-nRbFmD-nC4z8T-akXtzZ-eeXWgF-nyGSTv-nR7Hc9-9iCgi1-nyFZGe-pKanP2-czJqDN-nyFZCM-nSYboi-nP97ws-nyGety-nR7GWE-nyGeq7-nR3gu3-52kCkU-a5x7iv-akXsDT-9sdEjX-8JofDH-nyjCzn-2dhS3w-ar5C9L-uYwsJg-kHFghm-6xW2j4-kXofsW-a5pThF" target="\_blank"\>John Roling/Flickr\</a\>\</em\>*

Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is a little wary of Elon Musk’s ability to send humans to Mars, but he does like what he's seeing from SpaceX overall.

During a recent [Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) session](<https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/631eem/i_am_neil_degrasse_tyson_your_personal/dfqk321/>), Redditor patopc1999 asked, "Hi Neil! Just wanted to know your thoughts on [SpaceX's](<http://www.spacex.com/>) Falcon 9 relaunch and landing, and what do you think it means for the future of space travel?"

Tyson replied that “any demonstration of rocket reusability is a good thing," and he even asserted that "reusability is arguably the most fundamental feature of affordable expensive things.”

The Redditor also wanted to know if Tyson would ever consider joining a future one-way trip to Mars, which prompted a less optimistic response: "I really like Earth. So any space trip I take, I'm double checking that there's sufficient funds for me to return.” He candidly added, “Also, I'm not taking that trip until Elon Musk send\[s\] his mother and brings her back alive. Then I'm good for it."

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Screen-Shot-2017-04-03-at-10.39.44-AM.png>)
*Image Credit: Reddit AMA*

Elon Musk’s SpaceX recently [made history](<https://futurism.com/spacex-just-made-history-with-the-first-launch-and-landing-of-a-previously-used-falcon-9-booster>) by successfully launching and landing a used [Falcon 9 rocket booster](<http://www.spacex.com/falcon9>) for the first time. The CEO has announced his intent to [bring humans back to the Moon](<https://futurism.com/breaking-elon-musk-and-spacex-are-sending-humans-to-the-moon>), as well, and SpaceX is looking to [add hundreds of new employees](<https://futurism.com/elon-musks-spacex-just-announced-hundreds-of-open-positions>) to its ranks to help Musk make all these projects happen.

Given Musk’s track record for actually coming through on his plans, it could be simply a matter of time before Tyson boards a SpaceX rocket, with or without Musk's mother riding one first.