Elon Musk has officially announced that SpaceX’s Starship will embark on a mission to Mars by the end of 2026. The spacecraft will transport Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as part of this ambitious endeavor. Musk further stated that, if everything proceeds according to plan, humans could set foot on the Red Planet by 2029, though he acknowledged that 2031 is a more realistic timeframe.
Following the announcement, the official X account for Optimus responded with a brief but intriguing message: “Hold on.”
According to SpaceX, Starship is the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed. It boasts a payload capacity of up to 150 metric tonnes in its fully reusable configuration and up to 250 metric tonnes when expendable. This translates to approximately 165 and 275 U.S. tons, respectively.
Musk has long been vocal about his vision of making humanity a multiplanetary species, frequently expressing his aspiration to establish a human presence on Mars. Recently, he was seen at the White House wearing an “Occupy Mars” shirt, further emphasizing his commitment to this goal.
SpaceX’s website features a quote from Musk that encapsulates his enthusiasm for space exploration: “I can’t think of anything more exciting than going out there and being among the stars.”
This announcement comes amid a momentous period for SpaceX. On Friday, the company successfully launched a crew to the International Space Station (ISS) in collaboration with NASA. The newly arrived astronauts will replace Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded in space for nine months.
Wilmore and Williams initially launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5, 2024, with plans to return to Earth on June 13, 2024. However, due to thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, NASA and Boeing opted to keep them aboard the ISS rather than risk a perilous return journey.
With both ongoing missions in low-Earth orbit and ambitious plans for interplanetary exploration, SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space travel.
