Space Magnate Musk Aims to Launch Rocket to Mars in the Year Ahead, Eyeing Human Trips by 2029
Elon Musk ain't one to sit back and relax. He's got Tesla, SpaceX, and now DOGE on his plate, and he's got grand plans for Mars! In a post on X, he spilled the beans, saying that SpaceX wants to send its Starship spacecraft, carrying Optimus, a Tesla-created humanoid robot, to Mars by the end of 2026.
Now, if everything goes according to plan, Mars will start seein' some homo sapiens as early as 2029, though 2031 might be more likely. Musk's goal is clear: make it so that any ol' Joe Schmoe can jet off to Mars if they fancy it, with the ultimate aim of creatin' a self-sustainin' civilization on the Red Planet.
Why Mars, You Ask?
Musk has been hollerin' about his Mars dreams for a hot minute, seein' it as the insurance policy for humanity should life on Earth go to crap. "If somethin' terrible happens on Earth, either from us humans or Mother Nature, we wanna have a backup plan—like life insurance for the whole shebang," Musk spouted back in 2020. He's lookin' to turn Mars into a self-sustainin' colony and, according to some reports, he told SpaceX staffers last year he sees a million earthlings livin' on Mars by the 2040s. SpaceX's Mars mission webpage shares that Mars is an ideal location for exploration because its days are as long as ours and it's our closest neighbor. But there's a catch: it's freezier than a polar bear's tootsies and there's not much water to go around. Musk's got some ideas, though—he's proposin' to use Tesla-developed solar panels to provide electricity and heat homes.
Are Musk's Deadlines as Reliable as a Tesla?
Well, not always, bud. Musk's). Musk said in 2016 that he wanted humans on Mars by 2024, but that did not happen. In 2017, he promised private citizens trips around the moon in 2018, and, you guessed it, that didn't happen either. He also missed the deadlines for his Tesla Cybercab robotaxi for years. He said in October that the vehicles would "probably" be in production by 2027.
What's Musk's Wallet Lookin' Like?
Accordin' to Forbes, Musk's net worth is a cool $335 billion, makin' him the richest person on the planet. Most of his dough comes from his 12% stake in Tesla and 42% stake in SpaceX, both of which he helped create. Musk has said that his motivation for accumulatin' billions is to fund his dream of sendin' humans to Mars.
The Road to Mars Hasn't Been Smooth Sailin'
Musk's SpaceX has faced its fair share of challenges recently. Two straight rocket launches ended with explosions. After the second explosion last week, Musk deemed it a "minor setback" and said SpaceX "learned a good amount." SpaceX said the company lost contact with the spacecraft as it experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly." "Makin' life multiplanetary ain't easy," Musk said in a post on X.
Further Readin'
- Elon Musk's Plan to Put a Million Earthlings on Mars in 20 Years (New York Times)
- Colonizing Mars could be dangerous and ridiculously expensive. Elon Musk wants to do it anyway (CNN)
- Elon Musk Defends Second-Straight Explosion For SpaceX's Starship As 'Minor Setback' (Forbes)
Probably, Elon Musk will need to meet several deadlines in order to bring Optimus, a Tesla-created humanoid robot, to Mars by the end of 2026, as he announced on his LinkedIn. If the explorations go as planned, Mars might start welcoming human inhabitants around 2029 or 2031, as Musk aims to make Mars habitable for an average Joe Schmoe by the 2040s, creating a self-sustaining civilization on the Red Planet. Despite facing challenges and missing deadlines for Tesla's Cybercab robotaxi, Musk's net worth ($335 billion) allows him to continue funding his ambitious Mars mission.
