Human Landing on Mars by 2031? Elon Musk Says Starship Carrying Optimus to Launch by 2026

New Delhi: Tech billionaire and CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk announced on Saturday that the Starship rocket will depart for planet Mars at the end of next year that is 2026. 

SpaceX's starship, which is designed to carry humans and cargos, will also carry Optimus, Tesla's humanoids robot.

Elon Musk wrote in a X post, “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.”

Human Landing on Mars by 2031

Musk said that the Starship will depart at the end of 2026, and if the landing of the rocket in Mars goes well, then he mentioned that the timeline set for human landings on Mars—potentially starting in 2029, with 2031 as more likely.

Also Read: SpaceX Launches Crew-10 Mission to Rescue NASA Astronauts From ISS

Elon shared this information by re-tweeting a X post which greeted SpaceX on it's 23rd anniversary. The private aerospace company was founded on March 14, 2002.

All eight recent Starship test launches have failed, with the latest explosion occurring on March 7. The spacecraft erupted minutes after liftoff, causing space debris to fall back to Earth.

SpaceX Needs FAA Approval for Another Starship Test

After those failed launches, SpaceX will need to acquire permission from the FAA to conduct another test for Starship. Starship will need to pass several tests to ensure that the vehicle is reliable for crew and can complete in-orbit refuelling, which is critical for such a long journey in deep space.

NASA is also awaiting a modified version of Starship to serve as a lunar lander for its Artemis program, aiming to send astronauts to the Moon within this decade.

Amid SpaceX facing challenges in their Mars missing, it launched the Crew-10 mission on Saturday, March 15, to send four astronauts to the International Space Station and bring NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth after being stranded in space for over eight months.