Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, has announced that the company’s Starship rocket is set to launch toward Mars by the end of 2026. Onboard the mission will be Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, with human landings likely to follow by 2029 or 2031. Musk shared this ambitious goal on his social media platform, highlighting Starship’s role in his vision to colonize Mars.
Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket at 403 feet tall, is designed for full reusability and deep-space missions. It’s also slated to serve NASA as a lunar lander for the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon. However, before sending crews, SpaceX must ensure Starship’s safety, reliability, and success in complex tasks like in-orbit refuelling.
Recent test flights showcased challenges, with the latest attempt ending in a fiery explosion. Despite these setbacks, Musk’s “fail fast, learn fast” approach continues to propel SpaceX as a dominant player in space exploration.
