Elon Musk has revealed an updated timeline for his ambitious Mars mission. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), he mentioned there is a “slight chance” that SpaceX’s Starship rocket could make its first journey to Mars as early as November or December 2026, with Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus on board.
This comment came in response to an X user who asked: “What’s the timeline you have set, Elon? It sounds fascinating, and I’m glad to be alive when this is happening.”
Musk replied:
“There’s a slight chance of a Starship flight to Mars with Optimus on board in Nov/Dec next year. A lot needs to go right for that to happen.
More likely, the first mission without humans will be in about 3.5 years, followed by a crewed mission in roughly 5.5 years.”
Elon Musk on the Advantages of Going to Mars
In an interview earlier this year, the SpaceX CEO outlined his vision for Mars colonization, emphasizing that ensuring humanity’s long-term survival requires becoming a multi-planetary species. He also mentioned one of the key advantages of traveling to Mars.
“Going to Mars isn’t about making a single visit,” he explained. “It’s about establishing a multi-planetary existence so we can broaden the scope and depth of human consciousness, better understand the universe, and secure the long-term survival of civilization.”
He added, “In the hopefully rare event that a catastrophic event occurs on Earth, Mars could provide a continuation of human consciousness. In a sense, one of the main benefits of Mars is that it serves as collective life insurance for humanity.”
