According to CEO Elon Musk, SpaceX plans to launch its first uncrewed Starships to Mars in two years, coinciding with the upcoming Earth-Mars transfer window.
In a social media post on X, Musk explained that these initial missions would test the reliability of landing on Mars without a crew. If successful, crewed missions to Mars could begin in four years.
Musk envisions that flight rates will increase exponentially, aiming to establish a self-sustaining city on Mars within about 20 years. Earlier this year, he had projected that the first uncrewed Starship would land on Mars within five years and the first crewed missions would follow within seven years.
In June, SpaceX achieved a significant milestone when a Starship rocket completed a high-speed, hypersonic return from space, culminating in a successful landing in the Indian Ocean on its fourth attempt.
Musk is counting on Starship to meet his ambitions of creating a versatile next-generation spacecraft for transporting people and cargo to the moon wi
thin this decade, with the ultimate goal of reaching Mars.
Source: Voice of Nigeria