Topline
Elon Musk, who is juggling his Tesla and SpaceX leadership with DOGE, said in a post on X he wants to send rockets to Mars by the end of 2026, followed by rockets carrying humans between 2029 and 2031—though the billionaire has a reputation for setting overly optimistic deadlines.
Elon Musk says he wants people on Mars by 2031. (Photo by Graeme Sloan for The Washington Post via … [+]
Key Facts
Musk said in a post on X early Saturday morning his SpaceX company plans to launch its Starship spacecraft carrying Optimus, a Tesla-created humanoid robot, to Mars at the end of 2026.
If next year’s landing is a success, Musk says he wants to start sending humans to Mars as soon as 2029, though he said 2031 may be more likely.
Musk said Saturday morning his goal is to “make it so that anyone can travel to Mars if they would like,” with an eventual goal “to make Mars a self-sustaining civilization.”
Why Does Musk Want To Send People To Mars?
Musk has long spoken of his goal to send humans to Mars, framing it as an existential necessity should life on Earth become jeopardized. “If there’s something terrible that happens on Earth, either made by humans or natural, we want to have, like, life insurance for life as a whole,” Musk said in 2020. He wants to turn the planet into a self-sustaining colony, and he reportedly told SpaceX staffers last year he envisions one million people living on Mars by the 2040s. SpaceX’s webpage dedicated to its Mars mission says the planet is ideal for exploration because its days are similar in length to days on Earth, it receives ample sunlight and is Earth’s closest neighbor. But developing life on the planet faces obstacles including icy temperatures and a lack of water, for which Musk has proposed various solutions—including using Tesla-developed solar panels to provide electricity and heat homes.
Are Musk’s Deadlines Reliable?
Not always. In 2016, Musk said he wanted to send humans to Mars by 2024—which did not happen. In 2017, he said he would offer private citizens trips around the moon in 2018, which also did not happen. Musk also missed deadlines for his Tesla Cybercab robotaxi for years: He unveiled a prototype of the supposedly self-driving vehicles in 2024, five years after he promised they would be on the roads by 2020. He said in October the vehicles would “probably” be in production by 2027.
Forbes Valuation
Musk is worth an estimated $335 billion, making him the richest person in the world, according to Forbes estimates. Much of Musk’s net worth comes from his 12% stake in Tesla and 42% stake in SpaceX, both of which he cofounded. Musk has previously said his motivation for accumulating billions in assets is to fund his aspirations of sending humans to Mars.
Tangent
Musk’s SpaceX has faced multiple hurdles recently, ending two straight rocket launches 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.” “Not easy making life multiplanetary,” Musk said in a post on X.
Further Reading
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)
