SpaceX thinks humanity needs to reach Mars to survive.
Manned exploration and the eventual colonization of Mars would not only be a marvel of human achievement, it would also serve as a sort of insurance in case disaster strikes on Earth, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell told a small crowd here Wednesday (June 4). If humans decided to stop exploring, saying, “This is it, we’re done,” that’s not very inspirational, Shotwell said.
But exploration isn’t the only reason to visit the Earth’s rouge neighbor. Creating a settlement on Mars also constitutes “risk management” for the human race, Shotwell said.
“The probability of a significant [disastrous] event happening on Earth is very high,” Shotwell said. Though she said she doesn’t know when it might happen, “it would be nice to have humans living in more than one spot.”