Dr. Robert Zubrin: We Will Be on Mars Before the End of the Next Decade

... have people on Mars by the end of my second term?" And the answer is going to be "yes"... and "Will the cost be excessive?" And the answer is going to be "no". I believe at that point, a decision to send humans to Mars will be made. NASA will meet SpaceX halfway, developing a number of the other technologies that are needed. For instance, a surface nuclear power reactor, which would be very difficult for SpaceX to develop because it requires access to nuclear materials. I think we will be there ...