Musk: SpaceX plans to send five uncrewed Starships to Mars within two years

SpaceX plans to launch about five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars in the next two years, CEO Elon Musk said Sunday in a post on X.

Earlier this month, Musk stated that the first Starships to Mars would launch in two years “when the next Earth-Mars transfer window opens.”

Musk also noted that the timeline for the first crewed mission will depend on the success of the uncrewed flights. If the uncrewed missions land safely, crewed missions will be launched in four years. However, if challenges arise, crewed missions will be postponed by another two years, he said.

Musk, known for frequently changing timelines regarding Starship's readiness, had previously indicated that the first uncrewed Starship could land on Mars within five years, with the first crewed landing occurring within seven years.

In June, a Starship rocket survived a fiery, hypersonic return from space and achieved a breakthrough landing demonstration in the Indian Ocean, completing a full test mission around the globe on the rocket's fourth attempt.

Musk is counting on Starship to fulfill his goal of producing a large, multipurpose next-generation spacecraft capable of sending people and cargo to the moon later this decade and ultimately flying to Mars.

Earlier this year, NASA delayed the Artemis 3 mission, which includes its first crewed moon landing in half a century using SpaceX's Starship, to September 2026. The mission was previously scheduled for late 2025, NASA said.

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa canceled a private mission around the moon in June, which was to have used SpaceX's Starship, citing uncertainties in the rocket's development schedule.

Reuters