SpaceX aims to launch five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars within the next two years, according to CEO Elon Musk. Musk made the announcement on Sunday via the social media platform X. He stated that the first missions would coincide with the next Earth-Mars transfer window. This transfer window is expected to open in two years.
Musk emphasized that the timeline for sending humans to Mars will depend on the success of these initial missions. If all goes well, a crewed mission could follow within four years. However, if there are any significant challenges, the manned missions will be delayed by another two years.
The ambitious timeline for Mars missions aligns with Musk’s earlier statements, though he has been known to adjust deadlines. Earlier this year, he mentioned that an uncrewed Starship could land on Mars within five years, and a crewed landing within seven years.
SpaceX has already achieved key milestones, including a successful Starship landing in the Indian Ocean during a test flight in June. This success marks progress toward developing a spacecraft capable of sending humans and cargo to the moon and eventually to Mars.
NASA is also relying on SpaceX for its Artemis 3 mission, which will take astronauts to the moon. However, this mission was recently delayed to September 2026, from an earlier plan of late 2025.
In June, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa canceled a private mission around the moon due to delays in Starship’s development.
