Elon Musk Announces Mars Mission Timeline For SpaceX’s Starship And Humanoid Robot.
In a recent statement on Saturday, SpaceX founder Elon Musk outlined exciting developments regarding the company’s ambitious plans to send its colossal Starship rocket to Mars.
He revealed that the inaugural launch, featuring Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus onboard, is set for the end of 2026.
Musk also mentioned that human landings on the red planet might commence as early as 2029, though he suggested that 2031 is a more realistic target.
“Starship will embark on its journey to Mars at the close of next year, with Optimus on board. If all goes well with those landings, we could see human explorers arriving as soon as 2029, although aiming for 2031 is probably more prudent,” Musk shared via his X social media platform.
Starship, renowned as the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, plays a pivotal role in Musk’s overarching vision of establishing a human settlement on Mars.
In a separate initiative, NASA is also waiting for a modified variant of the Starship to serve as a lunar lander for its Artemis program, which aspires to bring astronauts back to the Moon within this decade.
However, before SpaceX can pursue these groundbreaking missions, the company must demonstrate that the rocket is reliable and safe for human crews.
Additionally, it needs to prove its capability to conduct complex in-orbit refueling, a crucial requirement for deep space exploration.
SpaceX recently encountered a setback when its latest Starship prototype test flight ended in a catastrophic explosion, despite a successful catch of the booster during its orbital test.
The incident mirrored previous attempts closely. Just minutes following liftoff and the separation of the booster, a live feed displayed the upper stage spinning out of control before the transmission was abruptly lost.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that SpaceX will need to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident before it can proceed with any further flights.
