Elon Musk is doubling down on his push to colonize Mars within two decades, calling it humanity’s "life insurance" as scientists predict Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere could vanish in roughly 1.1 billion years. A new study by NASA and Japan’s Toho University warns that rising solar temperatures will eventually boil oceans, destabilize climates, and wipe out all oxygen-dependent life—leaving only microbes to survive.

　“Earth will be destroyed by the sun. That’s why we need a backup,” Musk told Fox News, urging faster progress on SpaceX’s Starship program. The reusable mega-rocket, designed to slash spaceflight costs, has seen mixed test results but aims for an uncrewed Mars launch as early as 2026, with crewed missions planned within four years.

　The billionaire envisions a self-sustaining Martian city for a million people by 2045. “If Mars relies on Earth for survival, we’ve failed. Independence is the goal,” he said.

　The U.S. government has backed the ambition, with past administrations redirecting $6 billion from space station budgets to crewed Mars missions. NASA’s acting chief Janet Petro stressed the urgency: “Leadership in space isn’t optional—it’s about securing America’s future.”

　While Musk races against time, researchers note the sun’s fatal expansion into a "red giant" won’t occur for 5 billion years. But their simulations show oxygen collapse could doom complex life far sooner. “Earth’s biosphere has an expiration date,” said one scientist. “Mars isn’t sci-fi—it’s survival.”