SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed that the Starship will leave for Mars in 2026, and the company is hoping to send the first humans to the red planet in 2029.
According to a post by Musk on X, the first payload to Mars will include Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot. As for actual humans, they could start exploring Mars by 2029. However, the timeline for human presence on the planet is rather fluid and could stretch to 2031.
Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus.
If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely. https://t.co/JRBB95sgNN
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2025
Meanwhile, SpaceX still has a lot of work to do before the Starship can embark on any interplanetary voyage. A prototype of the largest rocket ever exploded for the second time this year just minutes after a test launch last week.
SpaceX is reviewing flight data to determine the cause of the latest disastrous launch. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has compelled it to investigate before firing up the Starship engines again.
However, the company caught the Super Heavy booster the third time earlier this month.
NASA is banking on the Starship to resume missions to the moon. It will serve as a human lander for the Artemis mission.
