Los Angeles: SpaceX founder Elon Musk has announced that the company’s Starship rocket is set to head to Mars by the end of next year. The ambitious timeline comes as SpaceX continues investigating multiple test flight failures, including recent explosions.
Musk stated that if initial missions proceed successfully, human landings on Mars could begin as early as 2029. However, he noted that 2031 is a more realistic timeframe.
Standing at 123 meters, Starship is the largest rocket ever built and is central to Musk’s vision of making humans a ‘multi-planetary species.’ The rocket is designed to transport cargo and humans to the Moon and Mars, aligning with Musk’s long-term colonization plans.
Despite its potential, Starship has faced multiple setbacks. Last week, a test launch from Texas ended in an explosion just minutes after liftoff- the second major failure this year following a similar incident in January.
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. https://t.co/JRBB95sgNN
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2025
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated an investigation before Starship can launch again, underscoring regulatory scrutiny of the program.
NASA has expressed interest in using a modified version of Starship as a human lunar lander for its Artemis missions, which aim to return astronauts to the Moon. The success of Starship is crucial for these upcoming missions.
Musk has been vocal about his ambitions for Mars for years. In 2016, he planned to send his Dragon spacecraft to the planet by 2018. By 2020, Musk was confident SpaceX could land humans on Mars within six years. In 2024, revised his timeline, setting a target for an uncrewed Mars mission in 2026, followed by crewed flights four years later.
Musk also revealed that SpaceX’s Mars mission will carry Tesla’s humanoid robot, ‘Optimus.’ The robot, first unveiled last year, is designed to perform everyday tasks and is expected to cost between $20,000 and $30,000.
