SpaceX to Launch First Uncrewed Mars Starships in Two Years
According to CEO Elon Musk, SpaceX plans to launch its first uncrewed Starships to Mars in two years, coinciding with the upcoming Earth-Mars transfer window.
In a social media post on X, Musk explained that these initial missions would test the reliability of landing on Mars without a crew. If successful, crewed missions to Mars could begin in four years.
The first Starships to Mars will launch in 2 years when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens.
These will be uncrewed to test the reliability of landing intact on Mars. If those landings go well, then the first crewed flights to Mars will be in 4 years.
Flight rate will… https://t.co/ZuiM00dpe9
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 7, 2024
Musk envisions that flight rates will increase exponentially, aiming to establish a self-sustaining city on Mars within about 20 years. Earlier this year, he had projected that the first uncrewed Starship would land on Mars within five years and the first crewed missions would follow within seven years.
Also Read: SpaceX, NASA Plan Crew-9 ISS Launch
In June, SpaceX achieved a significant milestone when a Starship rocket completed a high-speed, hypersonic return from space, culminating in a successful landing in the Indian Ocean on its fourth attempt.
Musk is counting on Starship to meet his ambitions of creating a versatile next-generation spacecraft for transporting people and cargo to the moon within this decade, with the ultimate goal of reaching Mars.
