SpaceX plans to launch around five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars over the next two years, CEO Elon Musk announced on Sunday via social media platform X. Earlier this month, Musk mentioned that the first Starships would head to Mars in two years, coinciding with the next Earth-Mars transfer window.
On Sunday, Musk clarified that the timeline for the first crewed mission would depend on the success of these initial uncrewed flights. If the uncrewed missions land safely, a crewed mission could follow in four years. However, if there are setbacks, the crewed missions would be delayed by another two years, he explained.
Musk, who has frequently revised timelines for Starship's readiness, previously said this year that an uncrewed Starship could land on Mars within five years, and humans could land on the Red Planet within seven years.
In June, SpaceX achieved a milestone when a Starship rocket survived a fiery, hypersonic reentry and successfully landed in the Indian Ocean, completing a full test mission around the globe on the rocket's fourth attempt.
Musk views Starship as key to his vision of developing a large, versatile spacecraft capable of transporting people and cargo to the moon later this decade, with the ultimate goal of flying to Mars.
NASA, which is relying on Starship for its Artemis 3 mission, recently delayed its first crewed moon landing in 50 years to September 2026. The mission was initially slated for late 2025.
In June, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa canceled a private mission around the moon that was set to use SpaceX's Starship, citing uncertainties in the rocket’s development timeline.
