Elon Musk: I Don’t Want to Escape to Mars, but to Extend Civilization’s Lifespan

Elon Musk: I don't want to escape to Mars, but to increase the lifespan of civilization and life itself.

“Technically, being a multiplanet species would increase the probable lifespan of civilization and life as we know it. Humans don't live forever, but just because we don't live forever does not mean that civilization cannot live much longer than we do. A civilization lives much longer than any individual human.

This is not about escaping to Mars. I will die, probably long before Mars is a self-sustaining civilization. It's just, I think, something we should do in order to have a much longer probable lifespan of civilization.”

Interview with, December 22, 2021