WASHINGTON: SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced that the Starship rocket will embark on its first mission to Mars at the end of 2026, carrying Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus.
If the initial landings go well, human missions could begin as early as 2029, though 2031 is more likely, Musk stated on his X social network.
Musk, who also serves as Tesla’s CEO, introduced the Optimus robots at an event last year, envisioning them as future companions and workers for menial tasks, with an expected retail price of $20,000 to $30,000.
The Starship rocket—the world’s largest and most powerful—stands 403 feet (123 meters) tall, about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. It is designed to be fully reusable and is central to Musk’s long-term goal of colonising Mars.
NASA is also counting on a modified version of Starship as a lunar lander for its Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon within this decade. However, before these ambitious missions can proceed, SpaceX must prove Starship’s reliability, crew safety, and in-orbit refueling capabilities, essential for deep space exploration.
Earlier this month, SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight ended in a fiery explosion, despite the booster being successfully caught in its orbital test. It was a near replay of a previous attempt, with video footage showing the upper stage tumbling uncontrollably before the signal cut off. Dramatic clips online captured red-hot debris falling over the Bahamas.
This marked Starship’s eighth uncrewed orbital test, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has required SpaceX to conduct an investigation before it can fly again.
Read also: Elon Musk welcomes 14th child, his fourth with Shivon Zilis
