NAIROBI, Kenya- SpaceX is gearing up for an interplanetary leap, with CEO Elon Musk outlining an ambitious plan to launch five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars over the next two years.
Musk’s latest update, posted on X (formerly Twitter), marks another milestone in his vision of making humanity a multiplanetary species. But as with all things Musk, the question remains: will these timelines hold?
According to Musk, the first Starship missions to Mars will kick off in two years, coinciding with the next Earth-Mars transfer window—a period when the planets are closest to each other, making space travel slightly easier.
In Musk’s own words, “The first crewed mission timeline will depend upon the success of the uncrewed flights.”
If all goes well, we could see astronauts heading to Mars in four years. But there’s a catch: if those uncrewed missions hit snags, the timeline could be pushed back by two more years.
Considering Musk’s history of fluctuating timelines, some are cautious about marking their calendars just yet.
Musk had previously predicted that the first crewed missions to Mars would happen within five to seven years, but, as always with space exploration, things can change rapidly.
The CEO has repeatedly emphasized that landing on Mars isn’t just about meeting deadlines—it’s about ensuring safe, reliable transport to the planet.
SpaceX has been hard at work testing Starship, their reusable rocket designed to carry both cargo and humans to destinations far beyond Earth.
In June, Starship achieved a major breakthrough with a successful return from space, landing in the Indian Ocean after a fiery, hypersonic descent. This was the rocket’s fourth try, and it marked a significant step toward making long-duration space travel a reality.
SpaceX is also working with NASA to use the rocket for lunar missions. NASA’s Artemis 3 mission, the first crewed moon landing in over 50 years, will rely on Starship to land astronauts on the lunar surface.
However, the mission, originally slated for late 2025, has been pushed back to September 2026. The delay underscores the unpredictable nature of space travel and development, something that even Musk admits can complicate his Mars timeline .
Despite the progress, challenges remain. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, who had paid for a private mission around the moon on Starship, canceled his trip in June, citing uncertainties in the rocket’s development timeline.
Maezawa’s cancellation only adds to the existing questions surrounding SpaceX’s readiness for deep space exploration .
For Musk, Starship is key to achieving his vision: a large, multipurpose spacecraft capable of ferrying both people and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
While there’s still work to be done, the SpaceX team is laser-focused on the next steps, ensuring that Starship will be the vehicle that carries humanity to the stars.
