Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 15: SpaceX’s Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket system, is set to embark on its journey to Mars by the end of 2026, with human landings expected by 2031, according to Elon Musk. The billionaire entrepreneur shared the update on social media platform X, hinting at an earlier possibility of human exploration starting as soon as 2029 if initial missions go well.
Musk revealed that the first mission to Mars will carry Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, to assess conditions before humans follow. “Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus,” he stated. “If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely.”
Starship, a 397-foot-tall, 30-foot-wide rocket, is central to Musk’s long-term ambition of colonizing Mars. The system comprises a powerful first-stage booster, Super Heavy, and an upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship. Musk envisions a future where at least one million people could inhabit Mars, ensuring survival beyond Earth.
"Civilization only passes the single-planet Great Filter when Mars can survive even if Earth supply ships stop coming," Musk said, emphasizing the necessity of interplanetary expansion. He further stated that in the future, traveling to Mars could become as routine as flying across a country. Additionally, he aims to establish a Moon base as part of humanity’s broader space ambitions.
However, SpaceX’s ambitious Starship program recently faced a setback. During its eighth test flight on March 7, SpaceX lost communication with the spacecraft shortly after launch. While the Super Heavy booster was successfully caught by the "Mechazilla" arms of the launch tower, the Starship vehicle itself lost altitude control and failed to complete its mission. “Final contact with Starship came approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds after liftoff,” SpaceX confirmed.
This isn’t the first time SpaceX has encountered communication failures with Starship. A similar issue occurred during its seventh test flight, and now the company awaits clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to proceed with further test flights. The FAA has called for an investigation before granting permission for future launches.
Despite these challenges, Musk remains committed to his vision of humanity becoming a multi-planetary species, with Starship playing a crucial role in that future.