Featured Image Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Topics: Elon Musk, SpaceX, Technology, Science
Joshua Nair
Topics: Elon Musk, SpaceX, Technology, Science
Elon Musk has made a bold statement about the future of humanity and has mapped out a plan for space travel.
Whether you like it or not, the businessman has a hand in some of the most influential organisations in the world, even being made a senior advisor to President Donald Trump.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has previously spoken of his ambition to get one million people to live on Mars in the future and has posted on social media several times about taking the Red Planet over.
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But now, it looks like he's taking a big step in that direction.
Humans have never set foot on Mars, but Musk and SpaceX have set a goal to get over this obstacle by the dawn of the next decade.
He took to X yesterday (15 March), to confirm that SpaceX's Starship will be heading to Mars at the end of 2026.
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The ship will be carrying Tesla's humanoid robot, Optimus.
Musk said that, if everything goes to plan, we could set foot on the planet as soon as 2029.
Writing to his followers, the tech billionaire said: "Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus.
"If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely."
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On SpaceX's official website, it reads: "Starship is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable."
The official account of Optimus responded to the announcement, saying: "Hold on."
Musk was even spotted wearing an 'Occupy Mars' t-shirt in the White House recently and has never been shy to hide his goal of inhabiting the planet one day.
A quote from the entrepreneur on the official SpaceX webpage sums it up: "I can’t think of anything more exciting than going out there and being among the stars."
His goal to make the human race 'multi-planetary' is in motion, with SpaceX also making strides to become one of the biggest space technology companies in the world.
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The company worked with NASA to carry out the rescue mission to get stranded astronauts Sunita 'Suni' Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore back home.
The pair have been on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024.
After heading up for what was meant to be an eight-day mission, technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft meant it was not safe for them to return.
Their return mission has been delayed several times, but early this morning (16 March), a Space X capsule docked at the ISS, with Wilmore and Williams set to head back to our planet on Wednesday (19 March).