Elon Musk announces SpaceX’s Starship Mars mission in 2026; human landings expected by 2031

SpaceX founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk announced on Saturday, March 15, that its massive Starship rocket will depart for the Mars mission at the end of 2026, according to a social media post on the platform X.

Elon Musk also highlighted that the Starship rocket will carry Tesla's humanoid robot “Optimus” on board. This will be a test before SpaceX move on to “human landings” by 2029-2031. 

“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,” said billionaire CEO Elon Musk.

Elon Musk's Tesla robot

Elon Musk introduced Tesla's humanoid robot “Optimus” at a launch event in 2024, according to an AFP report.

According to the report, Elon Musk also said that the dancing robots will one day be equipped to be able to do menial daily tasks, as well as offer friendship. The robots are expected to retail in the market for $20,000 to $30,000, as per Musk's vision. 

SpaceX Starship

SpaceX's “Starship” rocket is one of the world's most powerful rockets. It is part of Elon Musk's long-term goal of colonizing Mars. The rocket stands 123 meters tall and is designed to be fully reusable; the height of the Starship is nearly 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty in the US, as per the agency report.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is waiting for a modified version of SpaceX's Starship as a lunar lander for the space agency's Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon this decade, reported the news agency.

Before this move, SpaceX needs to prove the space vehicle's reliability and safety factors for the aircraft and the crew, which are necessary factors for a space mission.

Earlier this month, in a test flight, the Starship prototype ended up in a fiery explosion even though the booster rocket was successfully caught in its orbital test.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that SpaceX will be required to conduct an investigation before it can resume flying again, according to the agency report.