Elon Musk announced on X that SpaceX plans to launch its first uncrewed Starships to Mars in two years, aligning with the next Earth-Mars transfer window. These missions will focus on testing the spacecraft’s ability to land intact on the Red Planet. If successful, crewed flights to Mars could begin within four years.
Musk envisions an exponential increase in flight frequency, aiming to establish a self-sustaining city on Mars within about 20 years. Earlier this year, Musk had projected that the first uncrewed Starship would land on Mars within five years and that human missions could follow within seven years.
In June, a Starship rocket achieved a significant milestone by successfully landing after a high-speed return from space, completing a global test mission on its fourth attempt. Musk sees Starship as key to SpaceX’s ambitions of sending people and cargo to the Moon and ultimately to Mars.
