Why are billionaires obsessed with going to space? | Thomas Moynihan

If civilisation perishes on planet Earth, Musk, Bezos and Branson seem to think humans have a backup elsewhere

Branson, Bezos, Musk: why are these billionaires, with all their worldly riches, fixated on space travel? The Tesla founder, Elon Musk, argues that in becoming multiplanetary", humans might gain failsafe" protection from the risks of extinction or planetary collapse, while Amazon's Jeff Bezos speaks of saving the Earth". If civilisation perishes on one planet, these billionaires seem to think we have a backup elsewhere.

Bezos, Musk and Richard Branson seem animated by a lofty goal: securing the future of humanity by going into space. Many have dismissed this as billionaire bravado that pays little attention to real, down-to-earth problems such as environmental collapse. Worse, others say it echoes rapacious, historic land grabs. But going to space" and saving the human race" are ideas that have long captivated people on Earth. Their shared history shows why we remain captivated by this prospect, regardless of who, right now, are its cheerleaders.