Elon Musk plans to send a rocket to Mars in 2026, and humans — as early as 2029

SpaceX plans to launch the Starship spacecraft to Mars as early as 2026. The first flight will feature the Optimus humanoid robot, created by Tesla. If the mission is successful, Musk expects that the first crewed flight could take place in 2029, although he considers 2031 to be more likely.

Musk has long spoken about the need to colonize Mars, viewing it as insurance against a catastrophe on Earth. He aims to create a self-sustaining ecosystem on the planet and expects that by the 2040s, around a million people could live there. As potential solutions, he proposes using Tesla solar panels for energy generation and heating.

Recent tests of Starship were accompanied by failures — the last two launches ended in explosions. However, Musk called this a "minor failure" and stated that the company "learned a lot." According to Forbes, his net worth is $335 billion, and he has repeatedly said that his main goal is to direct these resources toward the exploration of Mars.

Source: forbes