Dueling NHPR hosts wrangle about SpaceX getting to Mars by 2018 – with Phil Plait’s help

For years I’ve been reading Phil Plait, who became famous in 2002 for writing Bad Astronomy, a book debunking astronomy pseudoscience. He is entertaining and knowledgeable, a nice combination.

So I was intrigued when two New Hampshire Public Radio hosts/producers went to Plait, now a columnist at Slate, to judge their debate over whether SpaceX can actually get to Mars by the end of 2018, as its deadline-busting owner Elon Musk has pledged.

Plait’s answer is … well, listen to it here – it’s the last item in the Word of Mouth show.