SAN FRANCISCO ¨C SpaceX CEO Elon Musk made a splash at the International Astronautical Conference in Mexico with his plans for an Interplanetary Transport System, along with a disturbingly inspirational ultimatum:
¡°There are really two fundamental paths,¡± Musk said. ¡°One path is we stay on Earth forever and there will be some eventual extinction event. ... The alternative is to become a space-faring civilization and a multiplanet species, which, I hope you would agree, that is the right way to go.¡±
Unless we slip the surly bonds of Earth, humankind is doomed. The only alternative ¡ª the right thing to do ¡ª is to colonize Mars. Manifest destiny!
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