> he went in with a fatalistic view He even did that with regard to the chance of surviving the trip to Mars: he emphasised that there was a high risk of death

> he went in with a fatalistic view He even did that with regard to the chance of surviving the trip to Mars: he emphasised that there was a high risk of death for the first travellers and that he wouldn't want to do it. He actually stated that the first travellers would have to be comfortable with the high risk of death. He's not saying "I'll colonize Mars". He's saying "We should colonize Mars. I'll make sure people interested in doing it can get there."