MUSKTU 
Elon Musk reinforced his intention on Friday for SpaceX to launch an uncrewed Starship to Mars by the end of 2026.
The ambitious goal is one Musk, the founder and CEO of the commercial spaceflight company, has stated on previous occasions. Musk most recently renewed that desire in a post Friday on social media site X, which he also owns.
Under Musk’s vision, humans could then land on the Red Planet in 2029, though he admitted 2031 is “more likely.” Musk has previously said crewed missions could take place as early as 2028.
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Happy 23rd Anniversary to @SpaceX! Founded on March 14, 2002, and still pushing the limits of what’s possible, here’s to the next chapter of making life multi-planetary! pic.twitter.com/mzvrdEagAn
— Teslaconomics (@Teslaconomics) March 14, 2025
The objective may be a tall order for a next-generation spacecraft that has yet to reach orbit on any of its eight uncrewed flight tests, which began in 2023. Starship’s most recent two demonstrations ended with the vehicle exploding in the sky and raining down debris, thought its rocket booster also successfully returned in both tests to the launch pad.
The 400-foot Starship is due to play a pivotal role in the years ahead in deep-space expeditions, as NASA eyes a return to the moon ahead of crewed voyages to Mars.