SpaceX plans to conduct five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars within the next two years, as announced by CEO Elon Musk in a recent post on X. He emphasized that the timeline for future crewed missions will hinge on the success of these initial flights. If all goes smoothly, a crewed mission could be launched within four years; however, setbacks could delay it by another two years.
Musk is known for adjusting timelines based on technological advancements and had previously projected the first Starship landing on Mars in five years and human landings within seven. This latest announcement follows a series of successful tests, including a notable achievement in June when a Starship rocket successfully returned from space and landed in the Indian Ocean after multiple attempts.
The Starship is key to Musk’s vision of a large, reusable spacecraft designed to transport people and cargo to both the Moon and Mars. NASA has also partnered with SpaceX, selecting Starship for its Artemis 3 mission to send astronauts to the Moon, though the timeline for that mission has now been pushed to September 2026, delayed from the initial late 2025 target.
