Is Elon Musk threatening to contaminate Mars by launching his used Tesla Roadster electric sports car into interplanetary space? Could he have made better use of both the Falcon Heavy launch and his car? And what’s a white guy like Musk doing anyway by accomplishing such a thing on his own, without a by your leave (except a launch license by the FAA)? Those and other questions were asked in a recent post on the Planetary Society’s blog by Jason Davis, the digital editor of that organization.

Why a car and such an expensive one at that?

Davis’ post echoed a line of criticism that has come Elon Musk’s way from the political left that seems to be incited by a display of excess inherent in launching an expensive used sports car into interplanetary space.

Davis seemed to feel entitled to tell Musk how to spend his own money, even suggesting that a better thing to do would have been to auction the car off and used the proceeds for charity. On the other hand, the world would not have been treated to those cool images of Starman at the wheel of the Roadster with the Earth in the background.

Davis also bemoaned the idea that the Tesla sports car had not undergone the rigorous decontamination procedures that NASA imposes for all spacecraft, just in case it should hit Mars and contaminate the planet with any microbes that might survive the experience. On the other hand, Elon Musk proposes to “contaminate” Mars with about a million colonists, all of them purveyors of microbes and other tiny lifeforms.

Musk may even want to terraform Mars, horror of horrors.

And what is this about wealthy, white men?

One line in the Davis piece seemed to trigger the author of the venerable blog NASA Watch, Keith Cowing. The line was, “We've reached the point where individuals like Elon Musk and Peter Beck—in this case, two wealthy, white men—can make unilateral statements for humanity in space.” The reference to race is rather odd, all things considered.

Would everything have been fine if the two gentlemen were of some other race? Why was it important to mention that particular characteristic?

Cowing, in his characteristic style, launched, not against Davis, but against bill nye, the former science guy, who heads the Planetary Society. Cowing is all for diversity, relentlessly so.

However, he stated, “But for an organization led by an outspoken rich famous white guy to be critical of two other outspoken rich famous white guys is hypocritical.”

An interesting point, though it should be noted that both Davis and Cowing are also white guys, who seemed obsessed by skin color. The principle of diversity has gone beyond the quaint notion once expressed by Dr. Martin Luther King that we should judge people by the content of their character and not the color of their skin and into the realm that the characteristic is all that matters.

Nye has already been attacked for being a nerdy white guy in a lab coat by the now infamous hit piece by 500 Women Scientists. He used to be the target of the right for wanting to lock up “climate change deniers” and for horrid skits about gender fluidity on his Netflix show.

However, ever since Nye dared to consort with Jim Bridenstine, the nominee to be NASA Administrator, the former science guy has become persona non grata by the left as well.

How did Bill Nye view the launching of the Tesla on the Falcon Heavy? He tweeted the following while watching the launch in the company of Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon and, horror of horrors, a white guy.
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